Every Rose Has Its Thorns
by Darksummoner98
Summary: Mikasa is like a red rose, beautiful, graceful and her roots can either keep her alive or kill her. Secrets are like thorns, dark, sharp and better left untouched as Levi is about to find out. Highschool AU Rivamika
1. The Oriental

A/N: Hello everyone! I promised to have this story out sooner but there was a few things I wanted to change beforehand. I really hope you like it and I will try to update weekly like I did with 'The Raven'.

Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of its characters.

Chapter One: The Oriental

"Remind me why I'm here again?"

I can only stare at the excited girl before me, who scribbles down notes in her journal rapidly. I can barely make out her messy hand-writing, or see the words beneath the food (or possibly blood) stains. I wouldn't put it past her.

Hanji doesn't even look up at me. "We are investigating the diversity of the human race, my dear Ackerman."

I hold back a cringe. "Never call me that again."

She pauses in her writing. "You know you secretly love it."

I don't respond to her comment, instead scoffing slightly and taking a sip of my coffee while Hanji spoons a piece of her cream pie into her mouth. "You've been dragging me to this café for the past few weeks now and each time we've been sitting at a different table at a different time. Is there a reason to all this?"

"Of course there is!"

"I mean a legitimate reason, not one of your personal ones."

"Any personal reason of mine is a legitimate one," she argues, before pointing her pen at me accusingly. "And in reality, it's not like your losing out on anything. You get to spend time with me, relax and drink coffee, what do you have to complain about?"

"Possibly about the fact that you make me buy you a large cream pie each time we come here," I bite back.

She frowns before looking anxiously behind me. "Keep your voice down. You'll scare away the subject," she hisses, taking another spoon of her pie as she looks over my shoulder before ducking back and scribbling down more notes.

"And who exactly is the poor being you've chosen to stalk?" I enquire, looking back behind me, trying to follow her gaze.

A hand latches around my chin and jerks my head back before I can get a good view. I smack Hanji's hand away in annoyance. "Don't look, act completely normal, she's coming this way!"

"I am normal," I grumble, draining the last bit of my coffee. "You're the abnormal one."

Hanji says no more, not even bothering to hide her notebook as one of the waitresses passes by leisurely on the rollerblades the staff are forced to wear. I can see the crazy girl's face light up and her gaze intensify as the girl comes closer. She inhales deeply, before turning back to her notebook muttering 'smells of jasmine.'

"That's borderline creepy."

"It's all in the name of science," she responds passionately.

I can only roll my eyes before I find them settling on the 'experimental subject.' She's a girl about my height, sporting the standard uniform of the café; a pleated red skirt that hugs her waist and a white shirt is half-opened exposing a black top beneath. Silky strands of black hair trail down to her defined collar bones. Sharp shoulder blades accompanied by muscles unusual in a girl can clearly be seen through the back of her thin shirt.

Her shoulders tense and her head rises ever so slightly as she writes down the customer's order. I narrow my eyes at the sudden change in demeanour but before I can look away, she spins on the toe of her roller blades, her eyes slicing into mine.

Now I understand what Hanji meant by the diversity of the human race. This girl is clearly not like most others, her unique features show as much. Her skin is like white marble, smooth, pale and completely unblemished save for a small scar beneath her right cheek. Her raven hair contrasts greatly with her complexion and her eyes only emphasise her unusual genetic make up.

They're large and grey, framed by thick, dark lashes and curving upwards more predominantly at the ends. Cold is the only word I can use to truly describe them. They're like crystallised storm clouds, hard, sharp and piercing.

I'm surprised that she can hold my gaze so easily, not many people can.

The moment is broken as she pushes off and skates fluidly towards our table. I can't help the slight widening of my eyes as she comes to a stop before us and raises a slender brow at me.

"Can I get you anything, sir?" Her voice is the exact same as her eyes, icy and detached.

My eyes narrow and I hand her my cup. "You can refill that."

She says nothing, merely taking the empty cup and disappearing in a flash before reappearing with a fresh, steaming one and placing it in front of me.

"You forgot the sugar."

Her eyebrow twitches minutely and Hanji begins scribbling down more notes in excitement. She doesn't look away as she reaches into the pocket of her skirt and produces two sugar packets. "Can I get anything for you, Miss?"

Hanji turns towards her with interest and I prepare myself for the worst. "Yes, actually could I possibly have a hair?"

"We don't sell hare here," she replies, not batting an eyelid. "We sell ham sandwiches and chicken-"

"No, no, no," Hanji interrupts, whipping a tweezers out of her coat pocket. I knew I shouldn't have gotten them for her as a birthday present. "A hair from your head."

This seems to catch her by surprise. "I'm not sure I'm allowed to give you hair, it's considered unhygienic."

"And frowned upon by the grand portion of society," I add.

"It will be our little secret," Hanji smirks.

The girl's brows draw together. "No. Can I get you anything else?"

The mad wannabe scientist heaves a sigh. "I suppose a sample of your stool will have to do then-"

Whatever the idiot is about to say is cut off as my hand shoots across the table and shoves the girl's face straight down into her pie. A few muffles of protest originate from her as the waitress watches in confusion and embarrassment. I merely give her a dead look.

"Ignore her. She's just had too much coffee."

The raven-haired girl nods slowly. "Right. I'll... leave you a few napkins," she says, placing the white cloths on the table. She moves to skate away however she pauses and shoots a glance towards the now unmoving girl. "Just to let you know, our insurance policy doesn't cover injuries or deaths caused by other customers."

"I'm not worried. She's too stubborn to die."

"Ok," she doesn't seem to care too much either way. "Well, let me know if you need anything else."

"A restraining order would be nice," I mutter offhandedly, shooting the girl across from me a glare.

She hesitates slightly. "Tell me about it." Her voice holds a forced neutral tone but before I can say anything in response, she skates off to the next table.

"I only asked for a few natural samples, I really don't see what the problem is," Hanji mutters as we exit the café.

"Of course you wouldn't," I roll my eyes, watching as she continues to try and get the cream out of her bangs.

"It was definitely a very interesting first interaction though," she continues on as if she hasn't heard me. "I certainly didn't anticipate her to be so blunt and daring."

"Daring?" I repeat, not exactly sure that's the word I would use to describe her.

"Yes. I mean, it was obvious she knew we were observing her-"

"More like stalking her."

"Either way," Hanji shoots me a look that tells me not to interrupt again, "rather than avoiding the unknown threat, she chose to face it and observe us in a more intimidating, dominant way."

"You're reading too much into this," I say, pinching my nose. "This is just another one of your exaggerated fantasies. All she did was serve our table."

Hanji scoffs and jumps in front of me, her brows drawn together and hands on her hips. "You are missing the point, my dear Ackerman! That girl is very special. She is of oriental inheritance, didn't you see her eyes?"

Those cold grey orbs flash in my mind. "How could I miss them?" I respond with a shrug.

"We shall return tomorrow to observe her more!" She declares and I shake my head.

"You can return tomorrow, I've got better things to be doing."

"But Levi!" She whines. "I need you to come with me! You have to buy me pie and you're the only person she has had a proper conversation with so far!"

"I am not buying you anymore pie and maybe if you acted more normally, she would be willing to talk to you."

"No, Levi you have to come," she pleads, grabbing onto my forearms, her grip like iron. "She hasn't had a single friend or family member visit her at work in the last month and she hasn't shown any interest in other customers. You obviously had an effect on her."

"I asked her to refill my coffee and she complied and told me their insurance policy," I give her a dead look. "Massive effect."

"Please, please, please!" She wails. "You want to be a spy or detective or some sort of government agent, right? Consider this to be your first undercover mission!"

"Why is this so important to you?" I ask, shoving her off of me. "Can't you find some other Oriental to stalk?"

"Do you know how hard it is to find an Oriental nowadays?" She yells in exasperation. "Ninety percent of their race was exterminated during the persecution of Sina, Rose and Maria over three hundred years ago. The remaining survivors were forced to go into hiding in the underground district where many died of disease, violence and depression. She could be the last of her race for all we know."

"And?" I raise a brow.

"And we must study her while we have the chance!" She announces loudly. "We must try to comprehend her genetic code and how it influences her levels of intelligence, endurance, ability to socialise with others and much more! Think of the possibilities, Levi!"

"I am," I reply, shaking my head. "One of the more likely ones is you ending up in a Juvenile Prison for dissecting and accidentally killing another human being."

"Yes, but we're trying to aim towards the less-likely ones, such as discovering a gene that can resist certain viruses and diseases or induce upgraded abilities into others. We could become rich and famous through this."

"Or we could end up with a black mark on our names for the rest of our lives."

"Just one more time," she pleads, getting down on her knees and attracting the attention of some of the exiting customers. "Do it for me, for science!"

She grabs onto the belt of my pants, wailing about all this crap and I realise how bad this looks to everyone around us. I can see some people producing their phones to tape it.

"Fine, fine, so long as you never touch me with your filthy hands again," I say, pushing her away.

"Fantastic! Then we must begin preparations immediately," she exclaims, pulling out her journal and beginning to scribble down theories about her newest subject of experimentation.

My brows draw together and I look backwards towards the café. It's getting late and the light pours out from the windows into the car park, illuminating the desolate street slightly. In one of the glass panes, I can see the raven-haired girl stacking cups onto a tray as she adjusts her uniform slightly and heaves a small sigh.

"Attracts even the most unusual of male eyes," I hear Hanji mutter behind me as she continues to write in her book.

That's when I smack her upside the head and continue on towards my car.


	2. New Girl

**A/N: Sorry this update is a day late, I had it ready yesterday but the site wouldn't let me upload the document, it kept saying there was an error :( out of a matter of interest, did anyone else have this problem? Anyway, here is the second chapter,thanks to anyone who reviewed, followed, favourited :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Two: New Girl

Thanks to Hanji, I didn't get to sleep until late last night and that alone puts me in a sour mood this morning. Every human needs their sleep, especially me considering I have to deal with the abnormal every day. She apparently doesn't need sleep.

Dragging a hand down my face and stifling a yawn, I yank open my locker and get my books for the next few classes. I really do despise Mondays, it always seems to rain on the horrid first day of the week and I'm usually never prepared for the whacky events that always seem to occur on this day. One Monday last year, we had to chase the smoking rabbit around the lab when Hanji conducted a rather drastic experiment to test the flammability of their species.

Slamming my locker shut, I move down the corridor and out through the doors that lead to the entrance hall. Remember how I just said Mondays always seem to catch me off guard or test my decision making skills? This one is no different.

There she stands, a vision of beauty as usual - I'm not going to deny it - in the centre of the hallway. Her eyes are trained on a single sheet of paper, the standard map and timetable handed out to new students. Gone is her café uniform, replaced with the school clothes. The jumper is far too big for her, hanging like a blanket with arms around her slim frame. The skirt reaches just above her knee while black long socks rise up to meet its hem. At the very least, her shirt is tucked in.

I try my best not to hesitate in my walk as her shoulders tense, ears prick and head rises and turns towards me. Once again, my gaze is filled with those cold grey eyes and I'm suddenly very aware of all the stares she absorbs from the other students.

Even though I hadn't intended to, I come to a halt in front of her and raise a brow in curiosity. Her expression is unchanging, although her eyes seem to narrow slightly.

"Are you stalking me?"

"I could ask you the same question," I shoot back.

"Don't flatter yourself," she says, adjusting the strap of her bag. "I have better things to be doing with my time."

"My sentiments exactly."

There's a silence in which our blank and curious stares gradually turn into glares that could curdle milk. Hers seems more predominant than any Hanji has ever sent me due to her dark lashes and steely eyes.

"Where's your strange friend?" She enquires.

"Probably hiding in a bush somewhere, observing you."

"That's reassuring," she mutters, looking back down at the sheet. "Can you give me directions to this classroom? Apparently I have registration there."

I lean slightly closer to look at the words she's indicating to with her finger. Offhandedly, I notice that she really does smell of jasmine. "That's my registration room as well," I say, beginning to move up the corridor. "Follow me."

She nods, remaining silent and walking a step behind me rather than beside me. It doesn't really bother me anyway, I'm not one for talking myself. I am curious about why she is here though and if it was just a coincidence that Hanji and I happened to run into her the night before school started.

"Did you just move here?"

"I thought you would know considering you stalk me," she answers vaguely.

"I do not stalk you, my friend does, she just drags me along."

"Say 'no' next time then."

I give up on extracting information from her and blow a strand of hair out of my eyes. "Believe me, I try."

The rest of the journey to our home room is silent and I don't even bother to hold open the door for her as I walk in. I think she pauses before coming into the room, either to prepare herself to enter new social circles or to make sure I haven't led her astray. Every head turns towards me as I enter the room but I just ignore them, heading to the people I usually hang out with.

"Morning Levi," Eren greets me, while the rest of the group choruses him.

"How was your holidays?" Sasha asks.

"Yeah, we barely saw you all summer," Jean added, leaning his chin on the palm of his hand.

"He was probably avoiding you, Horseface," Eren jeers and Sasha snickers at the nickname.

"I was busy," I answer shortly before Jean can retaliate. I dump my bag on my desk and sit down.

"Let me guess, ODM training?" Connie raises a brow and I give a small nod.

"That took up a good part of it."

Armin seems to realise that I don't want to talk about the events of the summer and so he gulps and turns towards Jean. "How was your last few days of summer?"

The tall boy doesn't respond, I don't think he's even heard him. He stares off into the distance, his eyes shining and jaw hanging open. Even when Sasha clicks her fingers in front of his faces, he doesn't blink and so we all begin to follow his gaze towards the main entrance of the room.

Where the Oriental girl stands.

She clings onto the ends of her tattered red scarf, a hard neutral mask covering her face however her eyes give away the slight nervousness she feels. I can see the rest of the group's jaws drop to the floor, especially Hanji who begins to mutter to herself. I'm sure she'll be the first to recover and begin taking more notes on the new girl, but I'm wrong. It's Eren who reacts first.

"Mikasa!" He yells, practically leaping over the desk and rushing towards her.

Mikasa... So that's her name. In a way it suits her, it reminds me of a cold type of strength, if that makes any sense at all. Like the strength of iron or steel, similar to the endurance and resolve that a battleship and its crew possess.

Her eyes widen a fraction, lips parting in surprise as her hand falls away from her scarf. I can't see if she smiles or frowns as Eren engulfs her in a hug, lifting her off of her feet and twirling her around, a huge smile gracing features.

Jean's face is purple now.

Armin is on his feet next and as soon as Eren puts Mikasa back on the ground, the blonde boy steps in and hugs her too. She seems more at ease now, shoulders less tense, eyes closed and lips no longer fixed in a neutral scowl. It's not a smile, but it's not an unhappy expression either. It's somewhere in between.

"I can't believe you're really here!" Eren's grin is twice as wide as a pizza as he hugs her again.

"Neither can I." Her voice is muffled by his shoulder.

"So much has happened since you left, we have a lot to catch up on," Armin adds.

"Looking forward to it," she response as the brown-haired boy finally lets her go.

"C'mon, I'll introduce you to everyone," he says excitedly, his eyes flashing brightly as he takes her hand in his and practically pulls her towards us.

I don't think Jean is breathing anymore.

"Guys, this is Mikasa," Eren introduces her, giving her a small pat on the shoulder. "Mikasa, this is Sasha, Connie, Jean, Hanji and Levi."

He points to each one of us respectively and her eyes follow his gestures until they finally rest on me. I hold her gaze steadily, wondering what her thoughts on my name are or if she even cares.

It seems the latter is more likely, as she breaks the eye contact and nods neutrally in our general direction. "Hello."

"Nice to meet you," Connie says with a small smile.

"Yeah, it's nice not to be the only girl in the group anymore," Sasha says.

At this Hanji shoots her a glare. "You're not the only girl."

"You can't be classed as a girl, you're barely human," I mutter.

Surprisingly she doesn't argue, if anything she seems to agree and returns to staring at Mikasa. Jean speaks up next. "So... how do you know each other exactly?"

"Eren, Mikasa and I are childhood friends," Armin explains. "We grew up together in the same neighbourhood but Mikasa had to move away when we were twelve years old. We only found out she would be moving back a month ago."

"You've really changed," Eren says, turning his attention back to Mikasa. "Your hair's a lot shorter now and you're not taller than me anymore and-" he pauses and his eyes train on the red fabric around her neck. "Is that the scarf I gave you before you left?"

She nods once, pulling the muffler more firmly around her.

"I can't believe you still have it," the brown-haired boy grins, feeling the tattered ends. "It's hard to believe it has been six years since we last saw you."

"Six years?" Connie echoes in astonishment. "You haven't even talked to one another for six years?"

"Well yeah..." Eren doesn't seem to bothered by the fact. "I mean... you moved when you were twelve so you should be eighteen by now, right?"

"Yes, I turned eighteen a month ago," Mikasa nods in agreement.

"How come you never called, Mikasa?" Armin asks curiously.

"I never really got the chance," she replies nonchalantly.

"You couldn't have just visited?" Eren asks, not in a suspicious or mean way. If anything, he sounds anxious.

"I wasn't allowed to."

Eren and Armin share a look between them. I'm pretty sure Mikasa notices because she turns her eyes to the floor, not wanting to meet any of our gazes. Silence descends and I can't say it's a comfortable one.

As usual Hanji is the one to break it. "So Mikasa, do you have any siblings?"

Her grey eyes harden with distrust. "No."

"What about cousins?"

"None that I know of."

"So are you a pure bred Oriental or is there a mix of cultures in your genetics?"

Her eyes narrow slightly and I'm pretty sure she's going to refuse to answer. I wouldn't answer the freaky biologist either. "The Oriental blood comes from my mother's side, not my father's."

"Ah I see," Hanji jots down more notes. "Very interesting... so, do you belong to any cults?"

The Oriental clearly does not know how to respond to that, none of the others know what to do, they don't even move. Hanji is still waiting expectantly and so I close her journal and hit her over the head with it, causing her to squawk in surprise.

"That's enough interrogation for one day," I turn towards Mikasa, giving her a dead look. "Just ignore her, she's mostly harmless."

With that, the bell rings and we take our proper seats as our teacher walks in. I can see Mikasa's shoulders slump as she releases a sigh. I'm not sure if it's one of tiredness or relief though.

* * *

Three classes and five excited rants from Hanji later, I'm sitting beside Mikasa in biology. She was supposed to sit beside the she-devil herself however she clearly stated she would rather never come to class which our teacher could understand. No one wants to sit beside Hanji in biology, she's a nut case.

So she was moved beside me.

Now I can only described her as a distraction.

I can't explain why but I keep stealing glances at her. I find myself studying her scrawly writing as she takes down notes, or watching the way she flicks her own between her fingers when she pauses in her scribbling. Every so often, she'll look out the window, grey eyes trained on the birds that fly freely in the sky.

"Stop staring at me."

It's a small unemotional whisper yet it still makes me drop my pen and avert my eyes guiltily. I recover quickly though, grabbing the pen firmly between my fingers and continuing to take down notes. "I'm not staring."

"Yes you are."

"Staring refers to gazing at something or someone for a long period of time. I was doing no such thing."

"Stop glancing at me then."

"Tch, it's a free country."

She pauses in her writing and I can see her brows draw together from the corner of my eye. "Only for some, it is."

There's a bitter taste to her tone that makes me turn my head towards her fully and look at her. She doesn't move to meet my gaze, instead focuses solely on the notes on the board. A strand of hair falls loose from behind her ear, covering her expression from my view with its dark thickness.

"Now you're staring," she hisses. "Stop it."

"Tch, whatever brat."

The teacher shoots a glare our way, obviously signalling for us to be quiet and we both give her a dead look, no apologies offered. She shakes her head in disappointment as a cheap measure to make us feel guilty and goes back to writing up notes. Needless to say, it doesn't work on me and it certainly doesn't seem to have any effect on Mikasa.

She resumes taking down the information from the board, as do I. From the corner of my vision, I can see her roll up her right sleeve slightly, exposing some of the soft white skin of her forearm and something silvery catches the midday sunlight. The reflected rays send small rainbows over the pages and I can't help but look to see what the hell she has on her arm.

At first it looks like some kind of leather strap that covers her whole forearm. It's a dark brown colour with distinctive metal symbols lacing the upper side. I'm not sure what they mean but I assume they have something to do with her Oriental heritage. Maybe only she can read them.

"If you don't quit staring at me right now-"

Whatever threat she is about to make is cut off as the bell rings, signalling the end of class. She breathes a sigh of relief and stands up but before she can get past me, I get to my feet and block her way.

"You'll do what?" I challenge, raising a brow.

Her own eyebrows draw together. I never thought it possible yet her eyes seem to harden even further. Her jaw clenches, a clear sign she's biting down on her tongue and I can see her hands tighten into fists by her sides.

I take a step towards her, curious as to see how far I can push her before her calm facade breaks. "What will you do if I don't stop staring at you? What can you possibly do?"

Her eyes narrow and she refuses to back down. "You don't want to know that answer to that question."

Fists unclench, jaw loosens and features revert back to her neutral, uncaring expression. I've only really seen such a level of control held by one other person apart from myself. In one quick movement, she vaults herself over the lab table effortlessly and walks calmly out the door without throwing a glance back in my direction.

* * *

Once school finishes, I head straight to the gymnasium to prepare for ODM training. Our team has practise most days after school and the qualifications for the nationals will be coming up soon. We'll have to come first in our race if we want to qualify this year.

"What do you mean you've never heard of ODM racing before?!" I can always hear Sasha before I see her for some reason. "Oh Mika! You'll love it! You and Eren can watch us practise! Jean and I are a pairing and Hanji and Levi are the first pairing, they take on the tougher races. Actually, Levi is our captain, and he always makes us train for hours after school. It's so annoying and he's not very nice either, he always curses at us and-"

She cuts herself off as she opens the doors and sees me watching her with a raised brow. Her jaw falls open and she grins sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "H-hey Levi! I was just telling Mika what a fantastic captain you are-"

"Save it Blouse." I turn back away from her, strapping on the ODM gear and completely ignoring her Oriental companion and Eren.

"O-ok, Captain!" She salutes me cheerfully before turning back to Mikasa. "You can sit over in the bleachers with Eren, he'll explain all the rules to you and we'll show you how it's done. You might even wanna try out for the team yourself!"

I shoot a glare towards Sasha as she says this, knowing a stubborn brat like Mikasa would be extremely hard to manage on a team. The raven-haired girl seems to notice the quick turn of my head and her eyes meet mine, hers darkening considerably.

"I don't think so," she replies stoically.

Eren nudges Mikasa in the ribs playfully. "Why not? I remember you being great at sports. You'd make a good addition to the team."

"I don't really do team sports," she replies with a shrug. "Besides I have a job and training would just get in the way."

"You're not at your job right now," Sasha points out.

"Today's my day off."

"Oh, ok, well you can come to the qualifying round if you like! I'm sure Eren wouldn't mind bringing you along with Armin and Connie."

"Not at all," Eren sends a smile towards Mikasa before placing a hand on her back and guiding her towards their seats. He chats non-stop to her while she nods and gives the appropriate response every few seconds. It's pathetic how attached he is to her.

"Sorry I'm late!" Jean yells as he rushes into the room.

"You should be, Kirstein."

"Ah go easy on him, Levi," Hanji appears from nowhere which causes Sasha to yelp and trip up over her wires in surprise. It doesn't shock me in the slightest though, I'm immune to her weirdness at this stage. "He's under pressure this training session."

I follow her gaze, watching the taller boy turn a fine shade of red as his eyes lock onto the grey-eyed girl in the stands. His jaw clenches as Eren touches the end of her scarf again and for a second I almost pity him.

Almost.

"Kirstein, get your ass out of the clouds and into your ODM gear." I don't yell it at him, I just keep my voice in its usual bored tone only slightly raised.

Sasha snorts at his tomato-resembling face while Hanji face palms herself. Jean's cheeks are like lava, burning red, and he glances mournfully in Mikasa's direction one last time before jogging over and strapping on his gear.

"Alright, same warm-ups as usual," I announce, shooting one of my wires to the first step of the obstacle course. "Keep up, stay fluid and if I find anyone slacking we'll be repeating it another twenty times at twice the pace. Is that clear?"

"Yes captain!" They chorus and we launch off.

ODM racing takes precision, quick decision making, balance, endurance and skill. I'm not going to lie, I'm by far the best on the team with Hanji coming in second. Sasha and Jean are basically even although Jean tends to make better judgements than the hyper active girl.

Shooting my wires through the hoops, I straighten my legs and travel through, twisting like a bullet. The others follow suit and we move on to the next part, meandering through the columns. My eyes wander briefly to the bleachers where they clash with the watchful grey ones of Mikasa.

They widen and she quickly turns her gaze back to Eren, nodding as he gestures this way and that while talking non-stop. I'm pretty sure her cheeks weren't that red before, she almost looks cu-

My thoughts are cut off as I'm forced to dodge the last column, the one I'd nearly forgotten about. With a grunt, I manage to narrowly avoid it. Jean isn't so lucky, it seems I'm not the only one distracted by a certain spectator.

He falls ungracefully to the floor with a pathetic yell and I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Descending to the ground, I kneel beside the groaning boy, examining his body for any injuries. He seems alright to me though.

"Did you break anything!?" Sasha asks hurriedly.

"Just my pride," he mutters in return and I shake my head.

"Just be thankful it didn't happen at the qualifying round," I tell him lowly. "You need to concentrate more, especially with her around. It's more than likely that Eren will bring her to watch the qualifying races."

"Right," Jean sighs and Sasha lends him a hand, helping him to his feet. He brushes himself down briefly before standing up straight. "Shall we try that again?"

I nod once, preparing to launch myself in the air. "Try not to crash this time."


	3. Tips and Coffee

**A/N: sorry for the delay everyone, I just got back from holidays and I'm afraid this chapter is slightly short. I have decided to update this fanfiction every Friday from now on so I promise there will be an update within five days :) thanks to all who reviewed, it really helps me to keep on writing and I hope you like this chapter :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Three: Tips and Coffee

School has become a nightmare. Mikasa is in nearly all of my classes. She sits with us at lunch. I can barely walk down a corridor without so much as smelling her jasmine scent. I try my best not to look at her but every now and again I find my eyes instantly wandering towards her, or sometimes to the leather band around her forearm.

We hardly ever talk and that's the problem.

Hanji hasn't left me alone all week. She wants me to go 'undercover' as an innocent citizen who is interested in getting to know Mikasa better. I have reminded her numerous times that you can't go undercover as something you already are. She doesn't care, she's fully focused on her experiment, even her biology grades have started to slip.

Speaking of grades, I've noticed Mikasa doesn't have the best of them. She passes all of her exams, true, but only by a certain margin. She remains just above average and only answers questions in class when absolutely necessary. It makes me wonder where she attended school before she came here and what it was like for her.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts by the bell and as usual, Mikasa is the first one to leave the class room. A sigh of relief escapes my lips and I gather up my things. Rather than heading to our normal lunch spot, I turn towards the library, intent on having one quiet lunchtime where I'm not constantly staring at Orientals and foreign symbols.

My dreams of a peaceful lunch are shattered when I see her sitting at the centre desk.

She looks up as I enter the room and her eyes narrow into a glare of sorts. It seems she's not that delighted to see me either. It feels like if I leave, I'll lose a point in this silent battle we've been having and she'll gain one.

So, I let my pride win this round and take a seat right opposite her.

She scowls. I inwardly smirk.

"Stalking is frowned upon by the grand portion of society," she whispers.

"You should really stop following me around then," I whisper back, opening up my books.

Her scowl deepens. "What do you want?"

"To study, now be quiet," I hiss back at her impatiently. "This is a library."

Surprisingly, she obeys and goes back to her maths problems. At first, I can feel her tenseness and discomfort, clear signs that she would prefer a braying donkey opposite her rather than me but then she becomes more absorbed in her work and seems to forget about me.

The exact opposite happens to me. I forget about my work and become more absorbed in her.

My eyes trace over the small details she never gives me the time to see, such as the single thick strand of hair that falls between her brows or the small cuts that lace her slender fingers. The scar under her cheek is a shade darker than her skin, but not as dark as her hair. It's a nice contrast to say the least.

I study the tension in her brows caused by thought, the way her tongue sticks out slightly as she concentrates and the way her knuckles whiten because of the pressure she is putting on her pen. She pauses in her writing, reviewing her work and I take the chance to look over it too.

"You're doing it wrong," I tell her.

She doesn't even look up. "Your opinion is irrelevant."

"It's not my opinion, it's a fact," I say. "The angle teeta starts at the positive side of the X-axis, not the positive of the Y-axis."

"I don't need your help."

"Clearly you do because you've made such a godawful mess of calculating the angle that your whole answer is wrong." I shake my head. "Honestly, you think you've never seen an Argand Diagram before."

"I haven't," she admits bitterly. "Now leave me alone, I can correct my own mistakes."

"Why do you hate asking for help?" I demand.

"Why do you hate staying out of other people's business?" She shoots back with a glare.

"Maths can hardly be considered a business," I say, pointing towards her messy diagram. "All you have to do is-"

This is where she cracks. In a flash, she slams the hardback shut, successfully clamping it down on my hand. I can't help the yelp that escapes my mouth as I pull my hand back, pain shooting up my finger. The librarian shushes me and I send a glare towards the old hag before reverting my attention back to Mikasa.

The brat's gone though, the library door slamming shut behind her.

* * *

Later on that night, Hanji drags me into the café and surprise, surprise, Mikasa is waiting on our table. I glare at her as she skates over and she glares back, so I take it she's not exactly pleased to see me either.

Hanji is ecstatic.

"Good evening, Mikasa!" She exclaims, her glasses shining. "We just decided to pop in for a coffee."

"Like every other evening," she deadpans, taking out her notebook. "I'm guessing you want a cappuccino and a large cream pie?"

Her smile widens and she nods in delight before whipping out her own journal. "Excellent memory storage..."

Mikasa doesn't even ask any questions anymore, instead turning to me. "And just a black coffee for you?"

I merely nod in response and she takes off towards the kitchen.

"Superb ability to make eye contact... Held Levi's stare for three point nine seconds," the mad scientist murmurs, checking her stopwatch as she writes. I don't even bother to pass a comment.

"So have you anything to report on our experiment?" She asks, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"She's not our experiment, she's your obsession and she doesn't like to be told she is wrong. That's about all I know."

"Oh come on! You sit beside her, you were in the library with her! Isn't there anything else?"

"She's part of a cult."

"Really!?"

"No."

Hanji let's out an exaggerated burst of air just as Mikasa comes back with our orders. She sets them down in front of us.

"You forgot the-"

"Sugar?" She cuts me off, producing two packets and placing them down in front of me. I close my mouth and meet her gaze with a piercing one of my own, noticing the slight dark spark of amusement in her eyes.

"More evidence of her ability to learn quickly," Hanji murmurs before snapping her journal shut and turning to the annoying Oriental. "So tell us a bit about yourself, Mikasa."

"I'm working, I have no time for idle chat-"

"All your tables are empty," Hanji cuts her off, smiling enthusiastically. "Please, have a seat."

"I'd rather not."

"We'll give you a fifty percent tip," the girl across from me bargains, her glasses shining.

I shoot her the hardest glare I can manage. If she thinks I'm giving that brat a fifty percent tip, she can fu-

"Seventy-five," Mikasa demands, her eyes narrowing.

Absolutely not. There is now way in hell I am-

"Fabulous! Now take a seat." Hanji gestures towards me and I look at her with disbelief before releasing a small sigh and scooting over in my seat. Mikasa sits down beside me, her jasmine scent overflowing my senses and I force myself to raise the cup of coffee to my mouth and concentrate on the smell of the steaming brew.

"You have three minutes," the raven-haired girl declares and the other nods in agreement.

"So, tell me, where are you from?"

"I was born in the same town as Eren and Armin, in the Shigashina district. We grew up together there."

"What about your parents?"

"I don't know," she replies and I'm pretty sure it's an honest answer. She maintains the eye contact and she doesn't fidget or show any signs of discomfort although she does seem a bit tense. "We never really talked about their origins before."

"Why not?"

"It never came up in a conversation."

"What about grandparents? Aunts? Uncles?" She perseveres. "Any at all?"

"None."

She doesn't even blink or show any emotion as she says this and Hanji doesn't seem that satisfied as she takes down her notes. She purses her lips, glancing briefly at me before looking back towards the 'experiment.'

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What are your interests? What do you dislike?"

Her eyes narrow slightly. "Being interrogated."

"And why is that?" Hanji leans forward. "Why do you hate others delving into your past and present? Generally when humans refuse interrogation or talking about the events of their history, it's because they have something to hide or they have something buried that they would prefer to keep ten feet under."

Everything is silent except for the clinking of cups and dishes coming from the kitchen.

I've got to hand it to her, Mikasa copes very well under pressure and to the untrained eye, she would seem as innocent as a daisy with her blank expression and uncaring eyes. However I can distinctly see her swallow hard and adjust her posture ever so slightly.

"Or maybe I simply value my privacy," she replies icily before getting up from her seat. "Three minutes is up."

"Wait!" Hanji reaches out, latching onto her wrist with a grip of steel and that's when everything about Mikasa's demeanour changes.

I see it all in slow motion. Her ankle twists, giving her friction against her wheels and the ground, leaving her perfectly balanced. Then her knees bend, torso twists, arms tense and hair whips as she turns around like a tornado. Her free hand reaches out, fingers curling around Hanji's wrist and crushing the bones, forcing the other girl to release her.

With a twist and a small bang, she slams the girl's hand on the table, causing her to let out a small yelp of either pain or surprise. I blink once and time reverts back to normal, delivering me the final image of Hanji's hand bent backwards over the table, arm twisted at an odd angle.

At first, I think it's broken but then Mikasa releases her and Hanji pulls her arm away easily, hugging it against her body. I look back towards the waitress who stands a few feet away, her grey eyes extremely dark and holding a look of something I can only describe as instinct. It's not a natural human instinct that everyone's born with though, it's clearly one she's inherited through past events.

And she looks like she's about to use it again.

"What's going on here?" A woman skates out from the back room, shooting Mikasa a look that could kill. She's much older than all of us and her voice holds a tone of authority leading me to believe she's the manager of this establishment.

Mikasa looks toward us about to open her mouth but I step in first. "Nothing. My friend here has a hard time keeping her hands to herself, it won't happen again."

The manager narrows her eyes on me. "Very well then. I'm sure we can let it slide this time, considering you are two of our most valued customers."

"Good. We're leaving," I announce, placing the money on the table, standing and nodding towards Hanji. "Now."

Like an elastic band, she snaps back to her old self and pouts. "But I haven't finished my pie or my experiment."

"Too bad," I turn my back on her and begin walking out the door. "You can bring the pie but you'll have to leave the brat here."

No one objects and Hanji follows me outside while Mikasa merely watches, grey eyes returning to normal.


	4. Gymnastics

**A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed and read up to Chapter Three. Here is the next chapter and I hope you all like it :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan**

Chapter Four: Gymnastics

It's around lunchtime the next day when I head off to work. I got a job in a bar serving drinks at the very start of the summer and the owner offered to let me work part time during my final year in school. I only work for a few hours on the weekends but the pay is good and the work is easy enough.

My uniform is quite simple, plain white shirt and black trousers and shoes to match. The owner insists we leave the first few buttons of our shirts open, apparently it's appealing to some of the women who come in. I don't see how though, they're probably far too drunk to distinguish the handsome from the donkey-look-a-likes.

Pushing open the door, I'm greeted immediately by Petra. Her father owns the pub and she works most weeknights as well as at the weekends. She can afford to though, somehow, she always manages to keep her grades up.

"Good afternoon, Levi," she calls as she wipes down one of the tables. "Enjoying your weekend so far?"

"No."

My bluntness doesn't seem to have an effect on her. "Sorry to hear that, maybe work will take your mind off things."

"Doubt it," I mutter, hanging up my coat and moving towards the bar.

"So what happened?" She asks, popping up at the front of the bar, her honey eyes shining. "What's got you in such a sour mood?"

"It doesn't matter."

She ignores my response and leans in further, studying my face. "Did someone piss you off at school?"

"Everyone does that," I reply, beginning to wipe down the counter after noticing a spot of dirt on it. This place would be shut down by the health inspector already if it wasn't for me.

"Yeah, but it's never been this bad," she pauses and tilts her head to the side. "Is it someone new?"

"No." My answer comes out a bit too forced and I take a deep breath to calm myself. "Just drop it."

She takes the hit to back off, holding her hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright, I'll yield. By the way, we have a new employee starting here. Since it's our final year in school, I'm going to only be working weeknights and she's going to be taking over my hours at the weekend."

This catches my attention. "She?"

"Yeah, she came in this morning and she's practising making cocktails in the back room. Although you're a lot better at it than I am so maybe you should go in and teach her. I'll get everything ready out here."

"We have fifteen minutes until we open up, how much can I possibly teach some brat in that amount of time?"

Petra gives me a small smile, snatching the cloth from my hands. "Trust me, you could teach her a lot, she's a fast learner."

"Tch, fine," I relent, heading towards the back room where we store most of the alcohol.

"And Levi, be nice and be patient," Petra warns me. "This one's a keeper."

"Whatever." I don't really care if she's a keeper or not. Petra knows the limits of both my patience and sanity and she doesn't over step them, this new employee probably will and that's going to make my job ten times harder.

Straightening my shirt, I push open the door to the back room and I'm instantly greeted with the last person I ever expected to see. Mikasa takes her eyes off of her drink-making, raven locks tumbling over her shoulder as she turns to look at me. I can see her eyes flash with the smallest hint of surprise, but otherwise her features remain neutral.

"What are you doing here?" It's the first thing I manage to say even though it's not the brightest.

She gives me a dead look. "I work here."

"You have a job," I point out impatiently.

"I need another one," she replies going back to making her drinks. "The rent doesn't pay itself."

"Tell me about it," I mutter before moving closer, observing her fast and precise movements. There are a line of cocktails set up on the counter, all perfectly prepared and all of them are on our menu. She finishes her twelfth one, beginning to move on to her thirteenth.

"Did Petra teach you all of these this morning?" I ask.

"No," she answers with a small shake of her head. "Petra taught me those two, the rest I knew from before."

"You worked in a bar before? You said you only turned eighteen last month."

"I never said I worked in a bar," she gives me a sideways glance as she shakes the tin container. "We didn't have much reading material when I moved away and one of the only things I could get my hands on was a cocktail book so I read that a lot and memorised most of the drinks."

"Is there any on the menu you don't know?"

"No, Petra already taught me the ones I wasn't sure of."

"And you know where everything is?"

"Yes."

I'm impressed but I don't tell her that. Instead I just nod once with a grunt and move to walk back out the door, about to tell Petra that I really don't need to teach her anything. However when I reach the door, Mikasa speaks up from behind me.

"Hey," it's a soft call but I still turn to acknowledge it. "I really need this job." She pauses and I can practically see her pride break and shatter, like a bullet through glass as she resumes. "So can we put aside our differences while I'm here?"

"Fine by me," I nod, eyes narrowing on her. "Just stay out of my way."

"With pleasure."

Without another glance back, I return to the bar, preparing for opening time. Petra is nowhere in sight, I assume she's already left. Now it's just going to be me and Mikasa running this whole bar every weekend, unless the manager decides to pop in every now and again. I have a feeling my weekends are about to get either a lot more interesting or tormenting.

Possibly both.

* * *

After Mikasa and I have locked up the bar, she leaves without a word of goodbye. I don't bother to offer her a lift, she clearly doesn't want one. So I drive away and a few minutes later I pull up outside my own home. It's a small two-bedroom house with two stories and a small back yard. Luckily, it's located in one of the safest estates in the district so I have no worries about leaving my car in the drive or setting a house alarm.

Opening the door, I kick it shut leisurely behind me and chuck the keys into the small bowl on the table. "I'm back," I call out to my roommate.

"How did work go?" His reply comes from the kitchen. I make my way through the door and grab a glass of water before sitting across from him at the table.

"Shockingly," I reply.

"Why? Were you fired?"

"No. We have a new employee."

He releases a small sigh and nods in understanding. "Let me guess, they know nothing?"

"The opposite. She knows too much for her own good."

"Much like someone else I know." He gives me a small smirk and I roll my eyes, averting my gaze.

"So how's the cold case coming along?"

Erwin Smith, one of the district's best detectives and community leaders, looks at me with tired eyes. "It's still as cold as it was when I first delved into it."

"So no progress then?"

He shakes his head, his blonde hair slightly dishevelled. "Not in the slightest. There's a reason this case is declared as cold as a corpse. It's completely dead."

"No leads at all?"

"No, this murderer left no finger prints, no murder weapons and no survivors behind. There isn't anything at all to help me especially considering he hasn't struck in over six years."

"Perhaps he died?"

"He's too cautious to die. The case proves as much."

I shrug. "Misfortune falls upon everyone."

"Well it has certainly fallen upon me," he sighs and takes another long gulp of his coffee. "With no leads, I will never be able to reopen this case."

"Why don't you find a different cold case to reopen? There has to be easier ones."

He pinches his nose and closes his eyes. "I wish I could. All the other aspiring detectives have taken the rest and I doubt they'd be willing to swap. We're all fighting for the same promotion."

"Certainly is a dog-eat-dog world."

"And you have it all ahead of you," Erwin smirks slyly. "That is if you're still planning on going down the detective career road."

I give him a dead look. "The excitement is killing me."

* * *

Monday comes quicker than expected and the first three classes move even quicker. I'm not arguing, biology with Mikasa is as tense as a cornered fox and I can't stop stealing glances at that bloody leather bracelet of hers.

Now I stand beside Hanji in P.E. while Coach Shadis deafens some of the students who are slacking. He has a silent respect for Hanji and I, considering we take on the most difficult ODM races and since I'm the captain. He doesn't punish us unless we've really pissed him off.

He looks pissed off right now as Historia climbs up on the beam, balancing well but her expression betrays her nervousness. She doesn't move fluidly as she does a cartwheel on the beam; her arms are too tense and knees are locked rather than bent. She hesitates before moving on to the next part of the routine, performing a handstand but her arms buckle beneath her and she falls onto the mat on the ground with a groan.

"Alright meatbags!" Shadis yells at the top of his lungs. "We've been trying this for the past hour and none of you have even come close to completing it. This is gymnastics for crying out loud!

I've seen little girls in pink too-toos do this routine better than you lot! You're nothing but a bunch of mummy-clinging pansies!"

The front row of students flinch as he spits on them and Hanji snickers beside me. We were allowed to take this class off in order to practise ODM training. Hanji is usually the one who likes to stop and watch Shadis eat his students alive. I'll admit, it brightens my day in some ways as well.

I think he's overreacting this time though. They still have another hour to complete the routine and not all of the students have tried it yet but then again, there are only three students left to try it.

One being the annoying Oriental.

"Now line up you fools," Shadis yells and everyone follows suit like startled sheep. "If one of you doesn't pull of this routine perfectly within the next five minutes I'm going to keep all your sorry asses back after school and we'll do this for five more hours until someone finishes it!"

Mikasa raises her hand. She must be brave or stupid.

"What is it, New Girl?" Shadis glares at her.

She doesn't bat an eyelid. "I can't stay after school. I have to work."

As she lowers her hand, every student tenses and looks at her as if she's insane. Shadis is silent for a moment, his glare intensifying until it looks like he's trying to make her head explode with his eyes.

"Well then you better complete this routine," he shouts as he stands right in front of her, bearing down with those dark eyes of his. "Or else you'll be back here with the rest of these pathetic excuses for humans until nightfall!"

"Fine." Her voice is dead, as though she's bored and then she brushes past Shadis as if he was a gentle stranger. He turns to watch her climb up onto the beam, crossing his arms over his chest with an annoyed sigh.

"God help her if she fails," Hanji says, taking out her phone and holding it up.

"What are you doing?" I ask her.

"Recording data for my experiment," she shrugs innocently. "This is the perfect time to observe her physical abilities."

I shake my head and turn back to Mikasa who balances easily on the beam. Her arms are by her sides, shoulders relaxed for once and chest rising and falling evenly. I can see Shadis' patience ticking away from the corner of my eye and just as he is about to yell at her to get a move on, she commences the routine.

Her cartwheel is forceful and fast, legs rising and falling quickly and silently. She doesn't hesitate to move into a handstand, arms not even shaking as she holds herself up. Her legs part and she manages to do the splits in mid air before returning to her starting position.

This is where the hard part starts.

Her knees bend and then extend as she propels herself into a back flip. Her arms move outwards, hair whipping and legs perfectly shaped as she lands without a problem. Not a second later she performs another one and then another before cartwheeling again and performing a sideways flip that brings her to the very edge of the platform.

To finish off, she keeps her body straight and in line with the beam before performing three backwards cartwheels. The momentum she builds is enough to allow her to launch herself high enough to perform a double flip before landing perfectly.

The hall is silent. The girls look like deer caught in headlights. The boys are drooling. Hanji is ecstatic beside me. Coach Shadis is shocked, he's completely frozen with his eyes wide open.

As for me, I can't really believe it myself. Her technique was flawless, her balance was perfect, her strength was unmatched and then she just jumps down as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Who the hell is this girl?" I mutter more to myself than Hanji, who is giggling hysterically under her breath as she reviews the video.

She doesn't respond, I don't really care. Shadis turns his head towards me silently, ushering me over with his finger. A feeling of dread settles in my stomach as I power-walk over to him. He looks down at me icily but I don't flinch under his stare.

"Get some ODM gear on that girl."


	5. ODM Racing

**A/N: sorry this update is coming so late on a Friday night, I've been in hospital all day (I had to get my wisdom teeth out and let me tell you girls and boys, it is not fun) but I have the next chapter up now, I hope you all like it :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan**

Chapter Five: ODM Racing

Ten minutes later, Mikasa stands in front of me, arms crossed and expression unpleased. Her toe taps against the ground every few seconds and she throws the occasional glare towards Hanji who hovers around her, tweezers at the ready.

"I don't see the point of this."

I hold back a groan of annoyance. "The point is to see if you have any skills whatsoever in ODM racing."

"I won't be joining your team either way, so why waste my time?"

Dear god, this girl is just unmovable. She doesn't even react under my heavy glare and I have to curl my fists to contain my anger. I can see Jean and Sasha grow nervous from the corner of my eye.

"It's just one race," I say in a very low voice.

"I'm not interested," she replies in the same edgy voice.

I can practically hear my patience crack. "If you don't get up into the air right now, I swear to God-"

"You'll do what?" She cuts me off, taking a step forward and intensifying her glare. "Keep in mind we're in a room full of people and our coach is present. They'll be on you like a pack of wolves if you try anything with me."

"Believe me, they won't, they know better than to interfere with my business," I hiss.

"Then give me your best shot." This is the first time I've seen her express anything except for curiosity and boredom. Her grey eyes are hard but there's still something different about them. They're like lava, hard in places yet hot and fiery in others.

Every other time, I wouldn't hesitate to beat her silly but this time I need to get on her good side. If she does prove to be exceptional as she was with gymnastics, then we'll need her on the team. I'd prefer not to have an enemy acting as an ally.

"I'll make you a deal," I say to her.

"That's your best shot?"

"Shut up and listen for a second," I growl. "One lap around the obstacle course, you and me. If you win, I'll move seats in biology and sit beside Hanji. If I win, I get to keep my seat and you never complain in biology again."

I feel a hand on my shoulder and Hanji pulls me back to her, hissing in my ear. "Why didn't you make her join the team if you won?"

"Because she could be completely crap at it," I reply bluntly, shrugging her off and looking back towards the pondering Oriental girl. "So, do we have a deal?"

"Fine," she nods once and flicks the safety switches on her ODM controls. The action cause me to raise a brow at how familiar she seems with the mechanism but perhaps someone had taught her a bit before hand.

We both line up at the starting line and Hanji stands before us, holding a small flag that usually starts off our races. We both watch her, holding our hand controls tightly, knees bent, arms outstretched, backs straight.

"I won't be going easy on you just because your a girl," I whisper lowly to her, eyes focused on Hanji.

She scoffs. "I didn't expect chivalry from you anyway."

Before I can retort, Hanji drops the flag like a tonne of bricks and we're off. In all honesty, I thought Mikasa would lag far behind at the start, I have a gift for launching off efficiently however she's right beside me. She floors the gas as she shoots her wires upwards, aim as deadly as a sniper's. It's almost as good as mine.

We curl around the first corner before the interlocking columns appear before us. I switch my grip, easing on the gas so that I can control my steering and avoid a crash. Mikasa does the opposite, never slowing for an instant.

The column rises in front of her and she moves to the right before veering left and twisting around the next. Her wires retract and she pushes off the next column with her feet, black hair flying out as she twirls around the next few.

I'm right behind her but I must admit she has a good amount of distance on me. So when we turn the next corner towards the small tunnel lower down, I perform a suicide dive, successfully passing her out.

As I move past her, I stick my right leg out - a move I use in most races when the next stage is only fit for one person. I push her with my strength and she let's out a yell of surprise, losing her balance.

Rushing through the tunnel, I can't hear her behind me but I don't stop, I keep going until I reach the end. I take a brief look behind me, only to see her get to her feet and speed through the tunnel not giving up.

Even from a good few feet ahead, I can feel the intensity of her glare and so I floor the gas and move forward. In my burst of speed, I miss the wire that shoots out in front of me and successfully catches my toe, causing me to tumble forward.

I recover quickly, getting back on track but that dirty little trick she pulled has given her the time to catch up. Now she's right behind me and the finish line is in sight. I can hear her press down harder on the gas and I do the same until we're neck in neck.

I'm the one who's been practising ODM racing for years though, not her. I know all the little last-ditch efforts to win, so I adjust my posture, arms and legs tensing so that I fly like a bullet and come in first place.

Retracting my wires, I land with ease and turn as Mikasa follows suit. Her landing isn't exactly as soft or as graceful. She rolls along with the ground, protecting her head before using her momentum to get to her feet.

I expect her to glare, to shout, to throw a punch at me for that move I pulled on her but surprisingly she doesn't. With all the grace and dignity she has left, she slowly stands up straight and looks towards me blankly. Then, without any help, she detaches the buckles of the gear and drops it to the ground at her feet.

"A deal's a deal, you get to keep your seat and I keep quiet," she nods once and turns away, beginning to move towards the exit of the gym.

"You can complain if you join the team," I call after her and she pauses in her step, shoulders tensing. "The qualifying rounds are coming up and we could use someone like you."

She turns around and for once, she honestly looks confused. "Someone like me?"

"Someone who's not afraid to fly," I clarify with a pointed look, "or to fall."

She doesn't deny it, she doesn't say I'm right either. Instead she shakes her head, black bangs swaying. "Like I said before, I don't do team sports. I'm just not good at them."

She probably thinks no one can detect the slightly saddened tone her voice takes on in that last sentence but I do. I can see the way her eyes lose their hardness briefly as she turns away and marches toward the door. Everyone is silent except for Coach Shadis' shouts and we all watch her go.

As soon as the door shuts, Hanji comes to stand beside me, her eyes glued to the last place Mikasa had been. "We need her on the team," she says softly. "She's better than both Sasha and Jean combined at the moment. Imagine what she would be like if she got some training."

"She would probably surpass you," I murmur back to her.

Hanji doesn't seem offended, if anything, she seems pleased. "So what are you going to do?"

"I'll make her join the team. No matter what."

* * *

The rest of the week is boring, long and really tests my patience. Classes trudge by at a snail's pace, training is even worse, Erwin's case is still dead despite my efforts to help him and every attempt I've made to approach Mikasa has been unsuccessful.

She's been avoiding me like the plague.

I've tried everything to corner her but she's like an ex-prisoner, she knows exactly how to escape. On Wednesday, I confronted her in the physics room once everyone had left so she jumped out the window into the courtyard below.

I can't say I was surprised.

I've run out of options so here I am again; sitting in the café with Hanji and ordering a large cream pie with coffees. I can sense Mikasa's reluctance as she skates over and takes our order. Hanji hasn't tried anything - yet, that doesn't mean she won't though.

"I wonder if she would let me take a sample of her skin this time," the mad scientist murmurs across from me.

"No experiments, we want her to join the team not run a mile from us."

She smirks and winks. "It seems as though someone's getting attached to our little Oriental."

"If you are referring to yourself, then I would call it more of an obsession than an attachment. Now put those tweezers away or I will break them apart and use both pieces to dislocate your eyes from their sockets."

"Fine, fine," she holds up her hands in surrender.

"And try not to talk about your wacky experiments either."

"Don't worry, Levi, I won't mess this up," she snorts slightly. "I want her on the team just as much as you. When she joins, I'll drop out and observe her at matches and training. It will be perfect!"

"Don't hold your breath, I'm not joining your team," Mikasa speaks up as she reaches our table.

"Why not?" I demand as politely as I can, which isn't very polite at all if I'm being honest.

"I've already told you; I'm too busy and I'm not good with team sports. Now is there anything else I can get you? I have customers waiting."

"Bullshit, there's no one else here except for that family of five and you can train on Mondays and after work on the weekends and during P.E. classes."

Her eyes narrow. "I am not a team player, I would be of no benefit to you."

"I don't believe that," I state firmly, not glaring but holding her gaze determinedly. "If you join us, we'll have the best chance we can ever hope to get of beating Titan Academy and winning the league."

Whatever retort or excuse she has ready falls from her lips and is forgotten. Her eyes widen and the wall that holds back her emotions crumbles. She looks so innocent that you wouldn't think this girl has a glare that can curdle milk on the spot.

My heart skips a beat as her shoulders slump in defeat and I'm so sure that she's going to accept and join but then she shakes her head slowly and moves to skate away.

"It doesn't matter if you believe it or not, it's the truth." Her voice is barely above a whisper as she moves backwards, tray of dirty dishes in hand. She casts her eyes down towards the ground, hair hiding her expression.

I don't think she is aware of the children playing tag around the tables or that they are carelessly running towards her, at least not until one collides with her leg. A small grunt escapes her lips and she tries her best to keep both the tray and herself balanced without trampling the little boy. It's a foolhardy task though and the tray slips from her grasp.

Glass shattering echoes through the café like bullet shots. The shards scatter over the floor but thankfully none touch the boy. Mikasa isn't so lucky. Her rollerblades show her no mercy and she begins to fall directly onto the broken dishes.

In an instant, I'm on my feet, avoiding the crying brat and glass. My hand reaches out, grabbing onto one of her bicep while my arm wraps around her waist, supporting her so that she doesn't fall. Her whole body tenses against mine, like water turning to ice in an instant but I never loosen my grip until I'm sure she won't fall.

Slowly, I help her out of the danger zone and then keep my hands on her forearms until she is perfectly balance and standing up straight. I raise a brow and she gives me a small nod, so I let her go completely.

"I'm so sorry, Ma'am, I didn't mean to run into you-" the little boy begins, his eyes beginning to shine as his parents rush over towards us.

I expect Mikasa to yell, glare, or just give him the cold shoulder but she does none of these. Instead, she bends down to his level and shakes her head.

"That's ok, you're not hurt, are you?" She stretches out her palms to him. "Show me your hands."

He does as he is told. "I didn't touch any of the glass, I think I'm ok."

"Good, that's the most important thing," she nods and grabs the brush propped against the wall. "Just be more careful in the future, ok?"

His smiles softly. "I will," he replies before turning towards his parents who are sending Mikasa dirty and accusing looks. I hear the mother talk of complaining to the manager and the father agrees feverishly.

What ignorant fools.

I turn my back to them in disgust and bend down, grabbing a few tissues to wipe up the small amount of split drinks. I'm careful to avoid the glass, picking up the tiny shards I find and placing them in the pile Mikasa has created with the sweeping brush.

"Leave it," the raven-haired girl says. "You don't have to help."

"Of course I do," I scoff as I look up at her. "I can't have you doing the job wrong and putting everyone else at risk. Besides this floor is filthy as it is, it needs to be cleaned properly and I'm going to show you exactly how to do it."

She pauses in her sweeping and her eyes meet mine. They widen with an indescribable emotion but before I can try to decipher it, she turns her head away and her black hair covers her face.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me, it's just basic hygiene-"

"No," she cuts me off and despite her hair, I can see her cheeks grow slightly rosy. "For catching me when I was about to fall. I appreciate it."

I pause in my own cleaning duties and raise a brow. "I couldn't hear you. You should really learn to speak up and quit mumbling. What were you saying?"

This is when she snaps back to her usual self. She meets my eyes with that infamous glare of hers. "I'm not going to repeat myself."

A soft snort escapes me and continue with my task until the floor is clean. Then I stand up beside Mikasa, dumping the last of the glass in the black rubbish bag.

"So does this mean you're going to join the ODM team?"

She gives me a dead look. "No."

"I figured it wouldn't be that easy," I shove my hands in my pockets and move towards the back room. "Now c'mon, I'm going to show you how to make a cleaning agent from nothing but baking soda, liquid soap and water. Grab a mop."

This time, she does exactly as I ask without hesitation.


	6. The First Secret

**A/N: I'm sorry this update is a day late, I know I promised to update every Friday but for once I actually revived a bit of my social night and went out with friends so please forgive me! :) anyways, here it is and there's more Rivamika-ness in it! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Six: The First Secret

It's Friday night and I am in school - but not for the reasons one might think. In truth, I hadn't really planned on spending the best night if my weekend in a place I hate yet here I am. I had told Hanji I would get Mikasa to join the ODM team no matter what the cost and thinks the coat.

Breaking into the school to get the dirt on her.

Mikasa is a private person and as she stated before, she may just value her privacy. I think that's bullshit. No one is a private person for no reason. No one simply values privacy if they have nothing to hide. My gut tells me that Mikasa has lots of skeletons in her closet and right now, this seems like the only way to release them.

Adjusting the black mask covering my face, I remove the tools from my bag and begin the tedious job of unlocking the door to the filing room. The hallways are deadly quiet except for the small metallic sounds as I work on opening this damned door.

Eventually it clicks open and I slip inside, closing it firmly behind me. I retrieve my flashlight and shine it over the lockers until I find we one I'm looking for. It takes some amount of effort to get it open and the long screech makes me cringe. I pause for a minute, listening to see if anyone is coming but as the silence stretches on, I continue with my task.

Mikasa's file is the second one at the top, right beside mine. I put the flashlight between my shoulder and cheek, holding it in place as I open up the yellow folder.

But there's nothing here.

"What the hell?" I mutter, brows drawing together.

It has her name, her age, her date of birth, her address but other than that - nothing. There's no record of her ever attending another school, there's no track record of her grades from previous years and there's no contact information listed except her own number.

"Why so little information?"

Her grades for this year are listed and they're not impressive. She struggling in most subjects - barely passing them - and she's failing math. There's a red star beside her scores which is never a good sign but I'm not interested in how knowledgable she is.

Everything I'm looking for is either blank or blacked out.

"Did someone tamper with this?" I whisper unconsciously to myself as I study the file more thoroughly, looking for anything at all that I can use to blackmail her.

That's when my eyes focus in on a single line. It's only two words but it's enough to make me stop in my tracks.

 _Parents: Deceased_.

Within the next second, the folder is back within the safety of the filing cabinet and I am halfway through the school. I always knew this little stunt would be risky, if I'm caught I could be expelled, but I didn't think it would be fruitless.

I can't blackmail her. Not because I don't have any secrets to exploit but because I simply can't bring myself to.

I'll just have to take a different approach.

* * *

For once, business is slow on a Saturday Night in the pub. We only have a few customers and when I say a few, I mean three in total. One is one of our regulars, a nice old widower who has nothing better to do on a Saturday night. The second is a stranger I've never seen before. The third is another of our regulars; a sleazy middle aged man who has been banned twice before for touching the waitresses inappropriately.

I've been simply standing and cleaning the bar for the last half hour. Usually, I would be bored senseless but not this time. This time I can observe Mikasa working and maybe determine what she likes so I can bribe her into join the team.

She moves like a ghost, fluidly, silently and always seems to catch the shadows. Her hair hangs in her face which is always passive like her eyes until they go into death-glare mode. Everything she does, even if it is just mixing drinks or wiping down the counter is always graceful and perfectly poised as if she is concentrating on the task with all of her mind.

Even now, as she places a pint of beer in front of Sleazy Sam, she is careful not to grow too close or have any contact with him or the table. When he reaches out to her in his half-drunken state, she avoids him and walks away with ease.

So far the only thing I've discovered is she does not want to be noticed.

My eyes follow her as she moves behind the counter, tray under her arm. Her eyes meet mine and she pauses, raising a brow at me. "What?"

"What's what?" I reply, mimicking her action and raising my own eyebrow.

"What are you staring at?"

"You. Isn't it obvious?"

Her eyes narrow. "Why?"

Because it annoys you. Because it makes you uncomfortable. Because I need to study you to find out how the hell I am supposed to make you join a team you seemingly despise.

"Because I think you should go home, there's not much point on you staying here when there's nothing to do," I say instead. "I can handle the rest of the customers and lock up."

She hesitates before saying anything, her lips thinning and eyes clouding over with suspicion. I understand that she doesn't know me well and she doesn't trust me, but for god's sake it's not like I can't do her a favour.

"I'm still not joining the team."

My eyes roll almost automatically. "Whatever, now go home and get some rest."

She goes to the back room wordlessly to collect her things and returns a second later, coat covering her and bag in hand. She moves around the bar and towards the door however once more she pauses and turns back to me.

"Thank you." They are the only words she leaves me with as she exits through the door. At least she's finally deciding to show a bit of gratitude.

The three customers leave soon after and I lock up the bar (after cleaning it thoroughly). As I'm driving home, I can see signs for roadworks ahead and I mentally curse them for working so late as I take a detour.

This way is slightly longer and it leads me past some of the rougher neighbourhoods of the area but I'm not too worried about that. I can handle myself, I just don't want anyone taking a hit at my car.

I spend about five minutes flicking through the radio channels until I find one I'm happy with. It's when I look up at the road that I see two men confronting some girl walking alone at this late hour. They both have large cigars in their mouths, smoke exploding from their nostrils as they leer at her.

She takes a step back, putting her bag on the ground and pushes her raven hair out of her face. That's when I see the cautious look in her familiar grey eyes as one man reaches out to grab her.

Before I know what I'm doing, I switch gears and jerk the steering wheel to the right, pulling up onto the footpath. I would've hit the two men only they jumped back at the last minute, cigars falling from their yellow teeth in surprise.

They begin to curse as I get out of the car, shooting them death glares. Mikasa just stands there in shock, her grey eyes wide and lips parted in disbelief.

"Get in the car," I order her before turning back to face the two men. I can faintly hear her gather her things and open the car door before it closes again.

"Who the hell do you think you are, midget?" The taller one yells, moving forwards with a fist decorated with sharp rings.

I step aside and send a knee into his groin with as much force as I can muster. He goes limp as he falls but before he can reach the ground, I kick him away in disgust.

"You will never approach that girl or touch that girl with your filthy hands again," I say calmly but strongly. "If I hear you've so much as looked in her direction, I will find you and ensure neither of you bastards will have the ability to reproduce offspring for the rest of your lives. Is that understood?"

They both nod meekly, moving backwards cautiously. "Good and get a shower, both of you. You're adding to the our environmental problems with your disgusting stench."

With that, I move back into the car and set it in reverse before taking off at full speed. The hedges and houses and street lamps seem to fly past us. Mikasa doesn't comment in my speed, I don't comment on her quietness.

"Why did you do that?" She asks quietly.

"Someone had to teach them a lesson," I reply.

"I could've done that, I can handle myself."

"I thought you would but I wasn't sure," I send her a sideways glance, noticing the calm and collected look in her eyes. This girl isn't even afraid after nearly being assaulted. "Believe it or not, I do possess a conscience."

"You don't show it very often."

"Neither do you," I shoot back and she doesn't deny it. She doesn't even look guilty for it. "You know, you and I are similar. We've both been exposed to the cruelty of this world and we both came out the other end of it. That's why we are who we are today and that's why we act the way we do."

"How do you know I've been exposed to harshness?" She asks in a neutral tone of voice.

"Because I can see it in your eyes every time you're faced with a challenge," I answer her honestly.

She's silent for a few seconds, merely staring out at the road ahead and letting everything pass her by. Then she looks at me, her eyes guarded as usual. "You're right but you're wrong at the same time. I have experienced life's cruelty but I haven't come out the other end just yet."

At her words, I look at her in slight surprise but she's turned her head back towards the road. As my mouth opens to question her further, she interrupts pointing ahead. "Can you let me go here? This is my estate."

Her 'estate' cannot even be considered an estate. It's practically a wasteland where men are lying half-conscious on the pavement with empty bottles of beer and women strut up and down the footpaths in extremely provocative clothing, selling their bodies for money. There are no kids in sight thank god, but as we pull in, I can see large, frightened eyes peaking out behind dark curtains.

The apartments are grey concrete with bars on the windows and safety locks on the doors. Some abandoned ones have shattered windows. One building is black from a previous fire that destroyed its interior completely.

"This is where you live?" I ask as she directs me towards one of the end buildings, this one four stories high with a rickety fire escape. All the curtains are pulled and no lights shine. Outside a man with a ragged beard takes another swig of his whiskey before gazing up at the cloudy sky.

"The rent is cheap," is the only response I get from her.

As I pull to a stop, she doesn't move to get out of the car. It almost seems as if she doesn't want to. She looks towards me with an emotion I've never really seen in her eyes before. It looks like desperation but maybe my eyes are just tired and aren't functioning properly. Desperation doesn't seem like her style.

"Don't tell anyone where I live," she says quietly. "If Armin and Eren found out that I lived in a place like this they would make me come live with them and that's something I just can't do."

"Why's that?" I ask and her hair falls in her face, a sure sign she does not want to tell me. "If you answer this last question, I won't tell a soul about you living here."

She looks at me once more through the strands of her hair. "As I've told you, I'm a private person and I'm not 'our the other end' just yet. I can't let my friends get involved and that means I need to keep my distance from them as much as I possibly can."

She leaves me with no further explanation as she grabs her bag and gets out of the car. Before she shuts the door, she nods once at me. "Thank you for the ride home and for keeping my secret."

"No problem," I reply with a nod of my own. I watch her shut the door and make her way up into the building, passing the drunk man who calls her an 'oriental demon'. I don't drive away until I see the lights turn on in her apartment on the fourth floor.

I have a feeling this won't be the only secret of hers I'll be keeping.


	7. Competition

**A/N: You actually have no idea how much fun I had while writing this chapter. I got so excited, that I have half of the next chapter finished already as well. I hope you like it :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Seven: Competition

True to her word, Mikasa never complained in biology again. She acknowledges my presence with a small nod at the start of class and then nothing is said between us. We take down notes, answer questions when asked and when we have to do an experiment together, we tolerate one another. Our skin never touches, our eyes never meet for more than two seconds and we both record the results in separate copies.

It's not uncomfortable. It's not exactly comfortable either.

Her ridiculously large bracelet always seems to catch my eye though. She doesn't seem to mind me staring at it and if she does, she can't say anything to me anyway. We have a deal. Although, if she catches me watching for too long, she'll tug down the sleeve of her jumper and hide it from my view.

When class ends, we usually walk out one behind the other, but this time is different.

"Mikasa," our teacher calls to her in a stern voice. "I would like to speak with you for a moment."

I pause in my walk, eyes shooting from Mikasa's neutral features to Ms. Brzenska's strict expression. She pushes her glasses up her nose and flicks a stray strand of platinum hair out of her face almost in an annoyed manner as Mikasa approaches her.

"This isn't good enough, Mikasa," I hear her say as I step outside the door and press my back against the wall beside the doorframe. "I understand it's hard moving to a new school, especially in your final year, but you need to keep your grades up."

"I understand, I will try harder in the future, Ms," Mikasa replies in a monotone.

Ms. Brzenska doesn't sound pleased with her response. "You said this the last time we spoke as well, Mikasa. I've been talking to the other teachers and they've reported that you're close to failing every subject except gym. I know you can do better than this."

"I will do better." There's no determination in her voice. There's nothing in her voice at all actually. I think she's just saying it so she can get out of there.

"Good, because you need to improve them and you need to do it soon. This year will pass you by in a blink if you're not careful and I can assure you, no decent college will accept a student with grades like these."

"College was never an option for me anyway," Mikasa replies except this time, there's a hint of regret in her voice.

Ms. Brzenska's seems to lay off her a little at this. She pauses and everything is silent for a moment before she realises a sigh. There's some shuffling and I think it's because she sat down or adjusted her standing position.

"Is everything alright at home, Mikasa?" She asks in concern. "If you need any help with anything, be it extra grinds or money, I'm sure we can discuss it with your parents and arrange-"

"That won't be necessary," Mikasa cuts her off, her voice holding a slight edge to it. "I would prefer if you stayed out of my personal business, Ms. Brzenska and let me handle my own grades."

"Very well," Ms. Brzenska's voice is as cold as steel. "You are dismissed."

Mikasa says nothing more and I hear her footsteps approaching. As silently as I can, I duck behind the corner and hold my breath as she exits the classroom and takes a left, walking up the hallway. She pauses for a second and I'm sure she's looking back in my direction, but then she continues on, still unaware of my presence.

Once the coast is clear, I head to my next class, thinking up am excuse as to why I am late.

* * *

The qualifying races roll around faster than expected and soon enough, I'm driving up to the woodland area just outside of the town. Eren, Armin and Mikasa sit in the back of my car while Hanji sits in the passenger seat beside me. Jean and Sasha are making their own way up.

The woods are where most of our races are held. The ODM committee set up various obstacles between the trees for the qualifying round and then we get to go to the proper stadium if we make it to the quarters. Coming first in the qualifying races is a direct ticket to the quarters, coming second or third means you have to duke it out in the elimination rounds to get a place there.

There are four areas where these races are set up and schools enter in their local area. The schools who come first and those who get past the elimination rounds all meet in the quarter finals. Hopefully, we won't have to go through them.

"Mikasa, you're going to love this, trust me," Eren says, nudging the girl in the middle.

"Yeah and you'll meet lots of other people here too," Armin adds in, smiling kindly at her.

"So how does it work? The racing, I mean," she asks, but she's not looking at Eren or Armin, she's meeting my gaze in the rear view mirror.

"There are two pairings, Hanji and I make up the first and we take on the more difficult races. Sasha and Jean make up the second," I explain, turning my eyes back to the road. "All of the first pairings set off from the finish line at the same time and the pair who make it back first wins. It's repeated for the second pairings. If two schools manage to tie, then a winner will be announced on their time but that's never happened here before."

"Why not?" She asks again.

"Because generally, most pairings don't make it to the finish line," I tell her bluntly. "ODM racing is mostly about speed, precision and teamwork but it's also about playing dirty and using your head. That's how you win."

"You demonstrated that quite well the last time," she replies and when I meet her eyes in the mirror, I can see a bitter darkness in them.

I feel the corners of my lips twitch. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Shortly afterwards, we arrive at the parking lot near the woods. A few other students from the school are already here to support us and they wave as we come in. I can see Jean among them and he breaks away from the crowd as we pull into an empty space.

"Hey, you finally made it," he greets us as we step out of the car. Eren holds the door open for Mikasa and as soon as Jean sees her his jaw drops. "M-Mikasa! I didn't realise you were coming."

"Eren asked me to come," she replies, completely unaware that his face has gone from peachy to tomato red in the space of a few seconds.

"Is this going to be a problem?" I ask, giving him a pointed look.

"No, not at all," Jean shakes his head quickly. "I'm just glad we have more supporters."

" _Right_..." Hanji wiggles her eyebrows at him suggestively. Mikasa doesn't seem to notice either.

"C'mon, you can tease him after we win," I say, grabbing my stuff from the boot and moving towards the cabins. "Where's Sasha?" I ask, looking towards Jean as we walk.

"I haven't seen her, but she still has time to get here," he replies. "I'm sure she'll be here soon."

"She better," I mutter.

Each school has a cabin for a changing room where we have to set up our gear before moving onto registration. We can't go through registration without Sasha so we'll have to wait for her here.

It's a small room, with benches attached to the wall and one bathroom with a few showers. As soon as we close the door and begin to remove our gear from our bags, I hear it open again behind me. I expect to see Sasha standing there but it's not her.

In our doorway stand three figures. Two tall male ones and a smaller female one. The male to the front is lanky with short black hair and a long nose. The male who lingers at the back is more muscular with short grey hair and pale yellow eyes. The female, who has her hands on her hips and smirks at us, has short whitish blonde hair with slightly childish features.

I know these brats all too well. They're our main competitions in the qualifying races each year. Marlo Freudenberg, Boris Feulner and Hitch Dreyse of MPB academy. Their uniforms are similar to ours, mainly beige with colours of green and grey however instead of the wings of freedom symbol, they sport a unicorn on their biceps and back.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in," Hitch cackles. "Although it wouldn't take that strong of a cat to drag you in here, dwarf."

"Certainly, compared to the size of the cat that could manage to drag you in, Hitch," I reply, going back to unpacking my things. "Still haven't found a diet that works for you?"

"Stretches still haven't made you taller?" She shoots back and I send her a withering glare.

"Watch your mouth, private schooled brat. Don't give me anymore reasons to break your limbs in the race."

"I'd like to see you try," Marlo says, stepping into the room and standing right in front of me so that I have to crane my neck to glare at him too.

Sometimes I really do hate being short.

"Be careful what you wish for..." Hanji half-sings, half calls from the bathroom.

"Yeah, Levi is going to completely destroy you in the race, you better watch your back," Eren threatens, stepping up from his seating position.

"I didn't realise you had a cheerleader and a lapdog combined in one, Levi," Marlo says, looking towards the brown-haired boy before approaching him aggressively. "He looks as easy to break as you."

The air shifts in the room and in a flash Mikasa stands in front of Eren protectively. Her legs are parted slightly, knees bent and arms slightly away from her body. The sleeve of her right arm is rolled up, exposing the leather bracelet. The Oriental symbol glints threateningly in the rays of light peaking through the windows and I can see Marlo take a step back in surprise by her sudden appearance.

She doesn't say anything, just stares him down and for a second, he almost looks scared. There's a primeval look in Mikasa's eyes, one that shows she is not the type of girl to be messed with. Marlo's friend doesn't seem to understand this.

"Wow, that's an all new low for your scabby old school," Hitch cackles, pointing towards Mikasa. "Having your girlfriend defend you in a fight? Can you guys get any lamer?"

"She is not his girlfriend!" Jean yells at her, but no one takes any notice.

Mikasa doesn't even raise a brow at it. "Eren is incapable of breaking someone's nose, not because he lacks the physical strength but the will to do so. However I lack neither and would be happy to rearrange your unfortunate-looking face if you continue to agitate us."

She says it all in such a serious tone, even Eren and Armin, her childhood friends look shocked. Before she can stick to her word, Sasha bursts through the door panting and doubled over.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she chokes between the gasps and when she stands up straight I see exactly why she is sorry.

"What is that?" I ask, my voice as hard as steel as I point to her arm.

"It's... a..." She gulps and puts on her best guilty, puppy dog face, "cast..."

"I can see that, but what the hell is it doing on your arm right before the qualifying races?" I demand, teeth crunching together as I glare at her.

"I-I had an accident, I fell out of bed last night and whatever way I fell... I..." She looks like she's about to cry however I have no sympathy.

Neither do the prissy students from the private school.

"Well, looks like you won't be participating in this race," Hitch laughs, smirking at us victoriously. "With your pathetic little potato girl out of action, you have no other option but to drop out." Her smile widens. "I guess you'll just have to enter again next year - oh wait, I forgot, this is your last year. How sad-"

"Sasha, did you bring your gear?" Mikasa asks, cutting Hitch off.

"Yeah, it's right here," the other girl says, indicating towards the bag in her good hand.

"Good." Mikasa turns towards Hitch and her eyes switch to death glare mode. "I hope you have health insurance."

"E-excuse me?" Hitch demands but Mikasa merely brushes past her and takes the bag from Sasha.

"I'm the new sub for the team," she says, eyeing each one of them individually before her glare returns to Hitch. "I'll see you at the starting line."

I swear, I can see the colour drain from Hitch's face.


	8. The Qualifying Races

**A/N: hey, guys thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter, prepare for the Amazing Ackerman Duo in action! Hope you all enjoy it! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Eight: The Qualifying Races

"Alright, so we know who we're paired with and who to target in the races, right?" I ask as Mikasa, Hanji, Jean and I form a small huddle.

"You and Mikasa are first pairing, Jean and I are second," Hanji gives a nod of confirmation.

"Wait, why is Hanji down to second pairing?" Jean asks in confusion.

"Mikasa has never had a proper race before," Hanji explains. "So that means we are at a slight disadvantage. She doesn't know the players and she doesn't know the various obstacles."

"Ah yes, that makes perfect sense as to why she is in the first pairing," Jean says sarcastically.

Hanji smacks him. "I wasn't finished! Now, because of this, we can't rely on coming first or second each time to get us through to the real competition, we need to rely on time and thankfully Mikasa has sufficient skill using ODM gear so she can keep up. Besides, you won't be able to look out for her like Levi can and you and I used to race together when Erwin Smith was still a pupil so, at least we have some experience together."

"True but Levi and Mikasa don't," Jean points out.

"Also true, however my observations show that Mikasa is a fast learner, she'll adapt."

"Either way, it's too late to argue about it now," I cut in impatiently. "We all know who to target and who to avoid?"

They nod in unison. "Yes."

"Good," I say before we break formation and move our separate ways. Mikasa and I towards the starting line and Jean and Hanji towards the stands.

"Good luck!" She cries excitedly.

"Take care of her, Levi!" Jean calls, his eyes lingering on Mikasa. I merely scoff.

Side by side, we make our way towards the other contestants who are all lined up at the white line. The usual uniform adorns our bodies, white pants and shirt, beige jacket with the symbol of my academy and brown straps to keep our gear in place. Mikasa still adorns her red scarf and leather bracelet.

I can see Marlo and Hitch on the other side, glaring at us and sizing us up. Mikasa and I both hold their stares easily until they turn away.

"Don't think I'm a part of the team because of this," Mikasa says suddenly, glancing at me from the side. "I'm only filling in until you can find a proper replacement for Sasha."

"Then why did you volunteer?" I ask.

"Because I owe you a debt and this is how I'm paying it off. I don't like owing anyone anything and the sooner the repayment is settled the better, so after this we're even."

"Fine," I reply with a small nod. It makes sense.

The referee moves to the podium to our left and raises a gun. He hollers at us to prepare ourselves and the sound of gear clicking resounds through the now quiet forest. Mikasa tenses beside me, ready to launch up into the air and I do the same, stealing one last glance at Marlo and Hitch.

"On your marks!"

I can feel sweat gathering on the back of my neck. So much rides on this one race and the race after. If we fail, we'll be the laughing stock of this district but if we win, it could mean easier roads for our future - regarding college.

"Get set!"

I look towards Mikasa. Her brows are drawn downward in determination, jaw locked, sleeves rolled up so that her leather bracelet is visible. She looks at me and catches my eye before nodding once and looking back ahead.

A gun shot resounds through the air and everyone takes off.

It's like a whirlwind just exploded. Dust and dirt crunches under our feet as we push ourselves upwards and wind is generated just by the speed we have during launch. I'm near the front with Mikasa lingering right behind me, just as we discussed. Everything is going according to plan.

As I curve around the first corner, I lean to the side and kick my leg outwards, catching the boy who tries to overtake me in the side. He releases a cry of surprise as he crashes into the tree and falls to the ground.

Behind me, I hear a female scream. Thankfully, it doesn't belong to Mikasa but unfortunately, it doesn't belong to Hitch either. One of the smaller girls who had been neck in neck with the snobbish brat loses her balance as Hitch smashes her into a branch. As she falls, she grabs onto another competitor's foot, bringing him down with her.

There's two down.

I can't focus on what's going on behind, we need to get past the people in front. I give Mikasa a wave and motion forward before I floor the gas. I hear her do the same behind me however my stomach clenches as I see the interlocking branches ahead of us.

This isn't a problem for me. I've faced harder courses than this. My instincts kick in and I twist horizontally, passing over and under two branches before kicking off a third and repeating the process. One of the branches sway as a competitor gets caught and for a moment, I have a horrible feeling it was Mikasa however when I look back, she's making good progress through the first part.

I curse as my toe catches on one of the branches and momentarily I lose my balance. Dammit, I should be more concerned for my own welfare than hers. I shoot my wires outwards, trying to regain control but then there's a hand on my forearm that helps me back up into a more stable position between the branches.

My head snaps in shock towards Mikasa and she nods, raising a black brow as if to ask if I'm alright. I nod once and she mimics the action before we clear the network of branches side by side.

She sticks to the plan and falls back slightly so that I'm right in front of her.

 _Here's the plan. Levi, get in front of Mikasa and stay there at all times. Mikasa is a quick learner, if she sees your actions, I have no doubt she'll be able to copy them exactly as you do and then the fact that she has no training won't be such a disadvantage to us._

Hanji's words ring in my head and remind me that I can't afford to pull off any fancy moves here. Mikasa may be a fast learner but I can't risk her falling while trying to copy an advanced technique.

My eyes shift towards the girl in front of me. Her hands move downwards and I can see her preparing to turn the next corner. In a flash, I shoot my wires directly ahead and cut her path off before I accelerate as much as I can.

Twisting my body, I begin to spin like a tornado that crashes into the girl and sends her flying out of bounds. Kicking off her body, I round the corner and begin to dodge in between the pillars. They're easy to clear as well and as I come out the other end, I count two more people in front of me - both from the same school.

That's not good.

Gritting my teeth, I motion for Mikasa to come up beside me. Her black hair flies backwards as she moves forwards and looks towards me.

"What is it?"

"Those two ahead of us are from the same school, after this next corner, there's only one more before it's a straight run to the finish line," I explain. "Do you want to try a take-down?"

She looks at me in surprise, momentarily before her eyes revert back to the way they were in the café that night when Hanji grabbed her wrist. She actually looks dangerous.

"The female is mine," she says in answer before gas explodes from her gear and she shoots forwards.

She launches her wires into two large branches above her and flies upwards. Her ascent continues even without her gas however gravity soon regains its control and she doesn't fight it. Instead, she floors the gas and descends like a fallen angel - head first.

I'm about to call out to her but I realise that I have to take care of the guy who is rushing towards Mikasa, trying to save his teammate. There's no way he can get there in time though as Mikasa has already performed a front flip and brought her heel down in a deadly blow into the girl's back.

She cries out in both pain and surprise as she falls straight down onto the forest floor with her partner calling her name. I can see him clench his jaw and shoot straight towards Mikasa but fortunately I'm there.

My fist connects cleanly with his jaw, considering all of his attention had been on Mikasa. I can feel sweat on my knuckles as he falls away and I grab onto Mikasa's forearm to steady her as we continue forward.

"Not bad," I say, shooting her a sideways glance.

She nods her head in thanks and moves behind me as we turn the corner and approach the second last set of obstacles. I can see a neon sign just before the hanging horizontal planks of wood and I turn back towards Mikasa.

"We have to go by foot over the planks until we get past the second neon sign," I explain. "Using ODM gear will get us disqualified, think you can manage?"

She nods in confirmation and pulls up beside me. Our wires retract back into our gear as we land safely and begin to sprint over the planks. Behind us, I can hear two other people land onto the planks and I steal a quick glance backwards.

Hitch and Marlo.

"We've got company," I yell over to Mikasa who looks back at my warning.

It proves to be a big mistake as her foot catches the edge of one plank and she goes down hard. She tries to get back up but her knee slips over the edge and the next second, she's dangling by her fingertips, ready to fall.

I skid to a stop, watching as Hitch pauses in her running and stands over her, smirking victoriously. Marlo keeps on sprinting, obviously aiming for first and he rushes right past me.

"Looks like you're not such a bigger talker now, are you?" Hitch's grin widens and she raises a foot over Mikasa's hand. "It's a long way down. I hope you have health insurance."

Her foot comes down but before it connects with Mikasa's hand I rush forward and send a kick straight into the centre of her back. She wobbles and yells in surprise, her confidence gone.

"Have a nice landing, bitch," I mutter in her ear before giving her one last push to send her over the edge and tumbling towards the ground.

I don't wait to see if she uses her gear to save herself from any broken limbs, instead I bend down and latch my hand around Mikasa's wrist, pulling her up. She stumbles slightly as her feet connect with solid ground and I can feel her pulse thrashing against the skin of her wrist.

"Are you alright?" I ask as she brushes her hair out of her face.

"Yeah, thanks," she nods once, detaching herself from me. Her eyes search the trees for something but when they darken in determination, I realise she's looking for Marlo. "C'mon, let's win this."

She sprints ahead, watching her footing this time and I have to really push myself to catch up with her. It's in this moment, as she jumps fearlessly off the end of the plank, that I realise she's actually a very competitive person.

Good.

I'm not even worried about the gas consumption anymore. The wind roars in my ears as Mikasa and I turn the last corner just in time to see Marlo disappear through the swaying tree trunks that hang from sturdy branches above.

From the corner of my eye, I can see Mikasa's brows drawn downwards in determination and she pushes her gear to its limit. I want to tell her that the more speed we have, the less accurate we become however I realise we have no choice. We need to catch up.

So I follow her example. The two of us curl around the first moving trunk and dodge the next one at the same time. Marlo has obviously opted for more accuracy as he grows closer and closer with each passing second.

I can hear cheers from the stands, Jean and Eren shouting for Mikasa and myself to keep going. Hanji is standing up and jumping like a mad woman, cursing at Marlo in some made up language.

We clear the swaying tree trunks and now it's a straight run to the finish line. Marlo picks up speed, I can see him pale as he looks back at us. We won't catch him at this rate, not if he continues like this.

Mikasa obviously thinks the same as she looks towards me for a plan. My mind goes blank, my stomach fills with butterflies, I can feel sweat gather at the back of my neck. My eyes take in every detail of the forest, looking for anything I can use.

That's when they land back on Mikasa.

"Do you trust me?" I ask, my gaze shifting towards her outstretched hand.

She hesitates before answering, an almost vulnerable look entering her grey eyes before she bites her lip and nods once. "Yes."

"Then get ready," I say as I grab her hand in my own, holding it firmly before twisting us both around. She holds on, her eyes meeting mine as we continue to spin and I can tell she understands what I'm about to do.

"He's all yours," I tell her before I let go.

I lose speed but Mikasa gains it. Her body straightens, toes point, arms flatten against her sides and gas floods out of her gear. As soon as she comes within range, she extends her arms and latches onto Marlo, sending both of them off balance. They tumble downwards in a tangle of limbs but then I see Mikasa send a knee into his groin which makes him go limp.

Her back faces the finish line and she kicks off of him, flooring her gas to push her further away. Marlo falls to the ground only metres in front of the finish line and lies still, clutching his groin in pain.

As I said before, more speed means less accuracy - less control and Mikasa has all the speed in the world however no control whatsoever. The finish line is on the ground and usually, the winner conducts a safe landing to conclude the race.

Mikasa can't though.

Her back hits the ground right behind the finish line and her momentum carries her a good few feet across the ground. She tries her best to curl into a ball and protect her head but it does little to no good as she tumbles head over heels roughly before finally coming to a stop.

All the screaming and cheering has stopped, replaced by gasps and frightened yells. Even those sounds dissipate into silence as I cross the finish line, earning second place. My landing is much smoother, I roll as my feet touch the ground but I don't stop. I rush right over to Mikasa, yelling at Hanji to get the first aid kit.

She lies on her side limply, strands of hair falling over her face. I can see her breathing, her chest raising and falling rapidly but that's the only movement. I kneel down beside her and gently push some hair out of her eyes. Her face is covered in scratches from her landing but thankfully that's the only visible damage.

"Hey," I pat her cheek gently, trying to get her to open her eyes. "Can you hear me?"

She groans, her eyelids flickering before she opens one eye. "Did we win?"

"Yeah," I say. "Never figured you would be the competitive type."

"You learn something new every day," she murmurs as she begins to move her arm.

"Wait, don't move," I say, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Is there any pain? Do you think you've broken anything?"

"No, I don't think so-"

" _Mikasa_!" Jean screams and I look to the left, watching as he sprints across the pitch ahead of Eren and Armin. "Is she alright?! Does she need CPR? I'll give her mouth-to-mouth!"

"You will _not_!" Eren yells, pumping his arms and legs faster as he tackles Jean to the ground.

"She's fine, you idiots," I say but they're not listening to me. They're rolling around the ground and trying to land hits on one another's faces.

Mikasa, slowly sits up, rubbing her neck and wincing slightly as she gets to her feet. She's slightly unsteady at first and discretely, I hold out an arm in case she wants to hold onto something for balance. She gladly takes it and after a few seconds, she let's go with a small nod.

"I thought that was Marlo's job," she says dryly, looking towards Eren who lands a punch in Jean's nose.

"He better not injure him," I mutter darkly. "I don't have any more prodigy substitutes up my sleeve."

"Prodigy?" Mikasa repeats, looking towards me with a raised brow. "Is that a compliment?"

"It's a statement," I growl in annoyance. "Now c'mon, you grab Yaeger and I'll grab Horseface and hopefully we can separate them before one of them breaks something."


	9. The Deal

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than the rest but it does kind of give you an idea of where the story is going :) hope you all like it and thanks to everyone for the reviews! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan**

Chapter Nine: The Deal

"Thanks for the lift home, Levi!" Eren yells as he waves from his front door.

"Yeah, and congratulations for getting through to the next round!" Armin says as he shuts the car door and begins to walk down the road to his own house. "See you in school."

I merely nod my head in response and then make my way to Hanji's estate to drop off the ecstatic girl. I swear to god, she hasn't stopped laughing about our victory since she and Jean came first in their race. None of the opposition even crossed the finish line after them considering Hanji went to extra lengths to take them down.

"Did you see when I smashed that guy into his girlfriend?" She practically yells in my ear. "It was awesome! That's the end of that relationship anyway!"

"It was impressive," Mikasa mutters from the back.

"Agreed, now shut up and quit shouting," I say, gritting my teeth. "You're giving me a headache."

Hanji pouts. "You two are no fun."

She's quiet enough until we get to her house, then she continues to shout about our victory until we disappear around the corner. I'm pretty sure I can hear her from five miles away.

"Alright, your place or the café?" I ask, meeting Mikasa's gaze in the mirror.

"It's alright, I can walk from here," she replied neutrally.

"I'm going past your estate anyway," I say as I put the car into third gear and zoom down the road.

"Ok, you can drop me off at the entrance then."

"Don't be stupid, I can't risk you getting killed after tonight," I say as I push my foot down on the accelerator, heading towards her apartment.

"I already told you, I was just a sub today, I'm not a part of the team," she reminds me. "You're going to have to find someone else."

"I figured you would say that," I mutter as my finger taps impatiently on the steering wheel. "I thought you might change your mind."

She doesn't offer any empathy. "You thought wrong."

"So there is nothing I can do to persuade you to join permanently?" I ask with a raised brow.

"Nothing."

"What if I told you I could get you into college for free?"

The words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them and I curse Erwin for rubbing off on me. He's the one who always takes the risks that pay off, not me. It's too late anyway, Mikasa is already watching me in the mirror with wide eyes as we pull into her estate.

"What do you mean?" She asks quietly.

I roll my neck slightly as I stop the car outside her house and remove my seatbelt. Then as easily as I can, I turn in my seat, leaning over the head rest to look at her fully.

"By getting a scholarship," I reply. "When you excel at a sport you can apply for a scholarship for a college that specialises in that sport. All you need is talent, a scholarship form and good grades."

The small hope that enters her eyes dies the second I mention the last necessity. She looks down at the ground and shakes her head slightly. "But I don't have good grades."

"I wasn't finished," I say in a slightly harsh voice. "If you agree to remain on the team and train with us, I will tutor you and make sure you get a scholarship. It gives you a full college degree for free as long as you agree to do ODM racing with that college. How does that sound?"

I'm pretty sure I see the beginnings of a smile begin to form on her face. "It sounds..." Then it fades quickly. "Too good to be true. What's the catch?"

"All you have to do in return is race with us," I answer honestly. "Of course you'll have to come to training and do exactly as I tell you so you can pick up your grades."

Her face darkens in discomfort at this part. I can tell she doesn't like the sound of spending more and more time alone with me and I understand she's holding down two jobs but surely if she has the opportunity to go to college, she can drop one of them and focus on ODM training.

She's still sitting in the same position, looking down into her lap uncertainly. She almost looks cute but the fact that she's still on the fence on this decision is annoying me to say the least.

"Sleep on it," I tell her softly. "You don't have to give me an answer right away."

She seems surprised by the sudden nice gesture. I must admit, I'm kind of surprised myself but I hope she'll consider this and accept. She has to because I'm running out of options.

After a few minutes of silence, she releases a small sigh and her shoulders deflate. Her grey eyes meet mine and she nods once before getting out of the car.

I feel like I shouldn't end the night this way, that this shouldn't be the way we say goodbye after such a successful day. I'm not sure why it's bothering me so much but it doesn't stop me from calling out to her to get her attention.

She turns around quickly, black hair flying over her shoulder and eyes questioning. I give her the most honest and serious look I've ever given someone. "You should really consider applying for one. You've got what it takes."

For a minute her expression doesn't change at all and I'm certain she's going to turn and walk away silently. She proves me wrong yet again as a hint of playfulness enters those grey eyes and she cocks her head to the side.

"Is that another statement?"

"No, this one's a compliment," I reply, putting on my seatbelt. "But don't let it get to your head."

* * *

"So what's the story?" Hanji asks, eyes lighting up behind her glasses as she leans on the table and stares at me.

We're currently sitting in the café Mikasa works in, surprise, surprise. I send her a look that could wilt a flower a sip my tea silently. "You already know my story. Orphan raised by uncle, uncle disappears, orphan goes into foster care, etcetera, etcetera."

"No! I mean the story with you and Mikasa," she says impatiently.

"I haven't found anything else out so far and I don't think I will. She's not exactly one to open up to people. Why don't you just ask Armin or Eren, they seem to know her better."

"No they don't," she disagrees feverishly. "They don't know her address, they don't know she works with you in the pub, they didn't know she was good at ODM racing and I don't think they know her parents are dead."

This causes me to choke on my tea. "What?"

She nods, her lips thinning. "Mikasa hasn't told them, I don't think she's told anyone she's living alone, except for you of course."

"So how do you know?" I ask accusingly.

She smiles slyly and looks off to the side. "I have my ways."

"Illegal ways," I mutter with a roll of my eyes.

"Oh don't be such a mouldy cabbage," she chastises as she shoves a large piece of pie into her mouth. "You just want her all to yourself."

"My motives have been revealed," I mutter dryly.

"So what are you going to do?" She pesters, before her eyes light up and she points her fork at me. "You should take her to the dance!"

This time when I choke on my tea, droplets stick in my throat causing both discomfort and a coughing attack to take over me. I try my best to wipe my mouth with a napkin and control my breathing but the surprise of her suggestion and the ill-timed swallow doesn't help much.

I barely notice Mikasa lay down a glass of water and napkins beside me on the table as she skates on by.

"I will not be going to the dance," I tell the mad scientist once I take a sip of water and regain my composure. "And I doubt she will either."

"Not with an attitude like that, she won't!" Hanji almost yells and I have to physically quieten her so Mikasa won't hear. "You two would be perfect to go together. You might even get cutest couple!"

"Except we are not a couple, we can hardly even be considered friends," I say in return, shooting her a sharp glare. "Now go to the bathroom and clean yourself up. You're a mess."

It sounds harsh, actually scratch that - it is harsh but it's true. She has pie all over her mouth and bits of cream on her clothes. You'd swear to God she had never seen a napkin before in her life. She pouts at me as she gets up before firing a warning glance in my direction.

"This isn't over..." she sings as she goes off to the bathroom.

Tch. Whatever.

No sooner has she disappeared out the door does someone else slide into her seat. I roll my eyes in annoyance beneath my lids, expecting some girl with a cheap, flirtatious pick-up line but instead my eyes land on Mikasa.

She looks to the side quickly before leaning forward and I copy her action so that our faces are only inches apart.

"So about these tutoring sessions..." She begins softly, biting down in her lip. "How long will they take and when will they be?"

A bubble of confidence rises within me and seems to burst with pride as I hand her over the sheet I brought with me. "This explains everything, it's your new timetable. It includes your working hours, training hours, study hours and leisure hours and I have copies if you lose it."

She looks at me incredulously for a second before taking the paper and running her eyes over the clearly labeled times and boxes. Then her hands drop and she looks at me with raised eyebrows.

"How did you know-?"

"Perks of being your stalker," I reply nonchalantly. "Our first session is tomorrow at your place after school. What subject do you want to study?"

She stares at me for a minute, probably deciding whether or not to scream or just walk away. However she snaps back to normal and nods in acceptance. "Biology and maths. Those are the hardest at the moment."

"Good." I nod once. "Then I can pick you up immediately after school and we can go to yours."

"Alright but when do we apply for the scholarship?" She asks and I swear I can detect a tone of eagerness to her voice.

"Once your grades improve slightly," I answer truthfully. "Applying for it is tricky and it takes time, you have to have all the right things in that form. My roommate knows everything anyone needs to know about it so he's helping me with my own, that way we can do yours too."

"You're applying for a scholarship too?" She asks in surprise and I nod in return.

"We're more alike than you think."

Her eyes darken a shade and she stands up, collecting Hanji's empty plate and stacking it on her arm. She looks down at me with those slightly haunted eyes before she shakes her head ruefully.

"No, we're not."


	10. Shinigami

**A/N: Hi everyone, I'm sorry for the late update. I'm afraid school has started back up and this is my final year, so that means lots of exams and study. I will try to keep updating each Friday but if the chapter isn't up on Friday, it will be up on Saturday. I hope you like this chapter and thank you for your patience :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Ten: Shinigami

Knock. Knock.

My knuckles rap against the faded dark green door sharply before I drop my hand and wait patiently. The rusty knocker stares down at me accusingly but I just ignore it, it's far too filthy for me to touch.

There's a creak on the other side of the door that causes me to prick my ears and I swear I can faintly hear someone breathing. "Who is it?" Mikasa's voice comes through.

"The Tooth Fairy," I answer dryly. "Now open up."

I hear a scoff before the sound of numerous locks being opened resounds from the other side. Then the door swishes open and Mikasa stands there in a massive jumper and grey sweats. I raise a brow at her attire and she shrugs. "Café was closed. A relative of the manager died," she then raises a brow as she looks me up and down. "Aren't fairies supposed to wear pink too-toos?"

I can feel my patience begin to crumble. "You're hilarious. Now are you going to let me in?"

"Sure," she stands aside. "Make yourself at home."

Home is not really what I would call this place. It has a musty smell to it, parts of the once white ceiling are now black from the dampness and the carpet is torn in places. The room itself is smaller than most of the classrooms and the only piece of furniture is a wooden table with two patio chairs. The kitchen is simply a tiled square with a counter, a cooker, a fridge and a few presses. It would surprise me if she even has food in them.

As I walk over to the table, I can see a door leading to a room that isn't much bigger than a cupboard where there's a single toilet and a tiny sink. No shower or bath. Mikasa seems to catch my surprised stare and she looks away with a slight blush.

"They have showers in school, it's cheaper than paying for an apartment with one," she explains quickly before gesturing towards the table. "Have a seat."

I don't comment on the fact that this furniture belongs outside or that she probably stole it from the recycling centre. I look around one last time before I realise that there's no other door in this room at all.

"Where do you sleep?" I ask without thinking and she points emotionlessly over to the corner of the room where a mattress and wardrobe sit. I look at her, waiting for her to tell me she's joking but after a few seconds of silence she looks away.

"It's more comfortable than it looks," she says before gesturing to the books. "So, what's first?"

"Flash cards," I reply, not pushing the subject and producing the rectangular sheets from my bag. "Besides me, these are going to be your new best friends. They go everywhere with you."

"Everywhere?" She questions, taking them from me and looking at them curiously.

"Everywhere," I repeat. "Take them to work, to school, to bed and whenever you get a spare minute, test yourself on them. The questions are on one side and the answer on the other. They're good for memory."

"'Name the part of the cell that is selectively permeable,'" she reads before turning it over and looking up at me. "Cell membrane."

"You're supposed to guess before checking your answer." I grab the cards from her and hold up the next one with the answer facing me. "Now answer this one."

"'Name the macro-elements found in food?' What's a macro-element?" She asks, her voice low and dead.

"Oh dear god," I murmur, dragging a hand down my face. "Alright, let's start with what you do know and build it up."

So that's what we do. I'm not sure how much time passes as we start with the basics and keep going over it until we get it - or rather she gets it. At one stage she gets up to make us a cup of tea while I organise a mini test for her however she has to boil water in a saucepan since she doesn't own a kettle but I don't really mind.

"So the alveoli are responsible for gaseous exchange to bring oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide from the blood?" She looks at me to see if she got it right and I nod motioning her onward.

"What else?"

"They can do this because of the network of capillaries surrounding them."

"And?"

"Their large surface area," she answers.

"And?"

"The oxygenated blood is pumped out of the aorta and all around the body," she finishes and I nod in acceptance.

"That's why we have a pulse, because of the heart's contractions," I explain to her, putting my fingers to my neck. "Try find yours."

She copies me, placing her index and middle finger to her neck but after a few seconds she shakes her head. "I can't feel it."

"Here," I take her fingers and place them on my neck, holding my hand over hers to keep it steady. Her skin is so soft and warm, I'm actually surprised considering she spends so much time working in the pub and café. "Can you feel it?"

"Yeah," she murmurs softly. "It's really strong."

It's at this moment I realise that she's so close to me I can practically feel her breath on my lips. She looks up, her greys eyes shining almost innocently and for some reason I can't seem to take my hand off of hers. My heart skips a beat as I notice her lick her lips unconsciously and I'm sure she feels it under her fingertips.

The moment is broken however when a large bang comes at the door and we both spring apart as if we'd been burned. Her hand slips from beneath mine and she looks towards the door slightly startled.

"What time is it?" She asks in alarm.

"Ten o'clock," I answer, clearing my throat. She curses in a foreign language, one I can't understand and I raise a brow. "Were you expecting someone?"

"No - well, yes, I just forgot," she shakes her head and moves towards the door before rolling up her sleeve to expose her thick leather bracelet.

This time, she doesn't ask who it is, she flings open the door and glares at the shady man standing outside. Her body language screams silent aggression as her knees are bent and left hand clenched into a fist, while her right is held out as if she's holding a sword. There's a glint of silver in the false light and the man takes a cautious step back.

"You Mikasa Ackerman?" His voice is rough and scratchy and he's wearing a long trench coat.

"Who wants to know?" She asks coldly.

"I have a message for her, I have the information she wanted," he replies with a smile, showing his rotting teeth.

"Then I'm her," she says firmly. "Where can I find him?"

"He'll be at the Devil's Maiden on Saturday night at ten o'clock. He has a monthly drink with his work colleagues there. Look for the broken cross."

"Anything else?" She asks with a raised brow.

"Don't underestimate him," is all he says before he slinks off down the hallway and Mikasa closes the door behind him. She releases a small sigh before rolling down the sleeve of her jumper and holding her forearm to her chest, as if she's hugging the bracelet.

Finally, she seems to notice my presence again and her eyes widen slightly. Vulnerability enters them briefly before they harden and she takes a threatening step forward. "You won't-"

"Tell anyone that you're stalking your ex boyfriend? Of course not," I gather my things in my bag and sling it over my shoulder as I walk past her.

She opens her mouth again to argue but I give her a pointed look and she shuts her mouth with a small nod of understanding. "Thanks."

I know that she's not stalking her ex and she knows that I know she's not stalking her ex. (I doubt she's ever had an ex by the way she seems oblivious to Jean's feelings for her.) However I plan to find out exactly who she is meeting in that bar no matter what it takes.

I just don't think she knows that.

* * *

Why did I ever take history as a subject?

I can barely keep my eyes open in this class. The only thing that saves me from falling asleep is Little Miss Stalker to my right who keeps poking me every time I begin to nod off. A jab in the ribs from her pen makes me sit up straight and clench my teeth to keep myself from yelping in surprise.

"Hanji, are you paying attention?" Our teacher demands and our whole class turns to face her. Eren and Armin smirk in our direction and I'm internally relieved that Mikasa isn't in this class.

"Yes," she replies cheerfully, discretely putting her pen behind her ear.

"Will you please stop poking Levi then and answer this question?" She shoots a glare in my direction as if it's my fault she keeps putting me to sleep and Hanji has to awaken me every two seconds. "Can you tell me who the Shinigami were?"

Hanji's smile falters slightly and she looks towards me for help. I, having been asleep, have nothing to offer her so she swallows and looks back to the teacher. "Um... gods?"

Her face twists into an expression of disappointed. "No, not exactly. Start paying attention or you'll find yourself in detention. You too, Levi."

We both nod to show we understand and she turns back to her presentation. "Now, the Shinigami were of Asian origins. They were a band of assassins that were extremely skilled in the arts of killing, fighting and spying. Many rich kings and queens hired them to dispose of those who questioned their laws or mocked them. They were also hired to fight in wars and battles. However..."

At this point, she clicks the button in the remote and the screen changes to show a picture of people running from men holding weapons. "When the world began to persecute the Asians, or Orietnals as they are also known; the Shinigami were the first to act and transported as many survivors as they could to their bases in the underground city. Practically overnight, all of the remaining Orientals disappeared and were given new identities and new lives in the illegal markets in the underground district."

She clicks the screen again, showing the infamous black markets that were run in the city that time. "Only for the actions of the Shinigami, there would be no Orientals left today. It is unknown whether their cult still exist or not. It's one of the more shadowy conspiracy theories of our time, there has been reports of sightings but again, it's not clear if they're true or not."

"How would you know if someone was a Shinigami or not?" Eren asks curiously. "I mean, they just look like ordinary people, right? How could you tell the difference?"

"That's a good question," the teacher nods in approval before flicking to a different image of a man. "When their services were in popular demand, they used to wear uniforms of sorts like these. The men adorned simple black shirt and pants, with black leather boots. The shirts were often left open to expose the silver chain mail and traditional tattoos."

Another click and another image pops up, this time of a woman. "The women wore slightly more revealing clothes as they would often seduce their targets before killing them, but it wasn't only for this reason. They needed to be able to move easily in order to fight, that's why their knee length dresses had slits to their hips. The leather band around their waist acted as a form of armour and the elbow length sleeves were designed to hide their tattoos and scars. The leather shoulder pads were held in place by silver chains that crisscrossed across the back and chest and connected to the belt. They often wore wedged boots that had a sharp, metallic knife concealed in the wedge on each heel."

"But how could you tell if someone was a Shinigami nowadays?" Eren asks again. "They don't still wear those clothes, do they?"

"Well, after the persecution of their race," the teacher begins, taking a few steps forward as she talks, "they opted to wearing the clothes of beggars to blend in with the crowd. Only the brave or foolish carried on with their traditional attire. Although, nowadays I doubt you would find anyone in the ancient robes. The only way they were identified in the so-called reports was by their order's symbol."

She presses down on the button and the image flickers a final time to show a brown leather strap about twice the length of my hand. On it, is a few intricately designed symbols, all dressed in silver metal and shining dangerously in the flash of the camera.

Mikasa's bracelet.


	11. Maiden of the Devil

**A/N: Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter and I hope you like it! Thank as for all the reviews and for being so patient. Slight hit of cursing in is chapter but nothing too bad :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Eleven: Maiden of the Devil

It's Saturday. It's ten o'clock and currently, I'm standing outside a dirty pub with my jacket slung over one arm and my hands in my pockets. 'The Devil's Maiden' is scrawled in bold red letters above me and I look towards the entrance with disdain. Why did I choose to wear my nice clothes to a filthy place like this?

It doesn't matter, it's too late now. I'm already walking in the doors and ordering my drink. The man behind the bar gives me a good look up and down, but then his eyes travel to the scars on my knuckles and his expression hardens. I don't bother to hide them, instead, I drum my fingers against the counter, silently encouraging him to hurry the hell up.

Once he slides the glass over to me, I take it with a nod and make myself inconspicuous in a shady corner table. Mikasa isn't here yet, thank god, so I have time to study my surroundings and see who she might be meeting.

There's not many in the pub, only a few middle-aged men downing their sorrows on a Saturday night. Half of them have wedding rings on their fingers yet they still let their hands roam over the waitress' bodies. The women don't do anything in response, they just toddle around in their ridiculous uniforms - red stilettos with short red skirts, red masquerade masks and devil horns on their head.

My eyes wander towards the door and that's when a group of rowdy men waltz in, all laughing and shouting at one another. Some of the waitresses look towards them in worry and I can tell instantly that they don't like working here, there's obviously nothing to protect them from the desires of intoxicated men.

There are about five of them in total and they signal a blonde waitress to take their order, slapping her roughly on the behind as she walks away. Her cheeks go bright red as she looks down and scurried to get their drinks.

An hour passes by and Mikasa still hasn't arrived. The men are a getting more drunk by the minute although one in particular seems sober enough. He laughs and engages in their drunken antics but he's far too alert to be as intoxicated as they are. I'm estimating that he is the one Mikasa is supposed to meet.

I down the rest of a drink and see the blonde waitress tap another waitress on the shoulder before pointing to me. Her ponytail swishes as she looks towards me before shaking her head at the waitress and making quick gestures with her hands. The blonde gives her a stern look and a push and she stumbles in her heels before she moves towards me hesitantly.

"Can I get you a refill, sir?" She asks in a low voice.

Any other time, I wouldn't have looked twice at her but this time I do. She's pretty with a good complexion, straight dark hair and a slim yet toned figure. Half of her face is obscured by the mask and she keeps her eyes trained on the glass, not looking at me.

"Yeah, same again," I answer.

She nods once and moves to take the glass but then I look at her arm and that's when I see it. The ancient Oriental symbol stares at me, flickering in the light of the room and I look back up at her in shock.

My eyes collide with hard grey ones. "Mi-"

I'm cut off as she slaps her hand over my mouth, looking towards the other table quickly before grabbing my arm and dragging me around the corner. She opens a door and shoves me inside before moving in after me and giving me her infamous death glare.

"We're in a closet," I deadpan, admiring the cleaning products around me.

She ignores my statement. "What are you doing here?!"

"You should know. You grabbed me and shoved me in here," I answer before looking her up and down. "Nice outfit by the way. Red suits you."

"Shut up," she mutters, cheeks reddening slightly. "You need to leave. Now."

"Why? I'm just having a drink by myself on a Saturday night and you seem to have gotten yourself a third job."

"I'm only here for one night, I'm filling in for a friend."

"You're lying," I say, firmly looking her straight in the eye. "Tell me the truth and I'll consider leaving."

Her eyes widen and her lips parts slightly as she takes a quick breath. "I can't."

"Why not?" I demand.

"It's for your own protection." She takes another breath as she looks down before reverting her gaze back to me. "Look, this is important, to both me and a lot of other people. I trusted you with the ODM racing and the scholarship, now you have to trust me and leave."

The sharp reply I have on the tip of my tongue melts and fades into nothing, rendering me speechless. I can only hold her stern gaze, noting the silver flecks in her grey eyes offhandedly. Her posture is tense and unmoving, her jaw locked in a stubborn manner and her expression as hard as steel.

She's not going to budge, I realise. She will not give in until I do and my own eyes harden at the thought. Why should I be the one that has to give in? Why should she get to boss me around?

She doesn't get to boss me around. I won't let her.

"Too bad. I'm staying," I tell her firmly, my own jaw clenching, "whether you want me to or not."

I didn't think it possible, but her eyes harden even further and they darken considerably. Her teeth peek out to bite down on her lip out of anger or maybe just thought. The latter is less likely.

I can see her hands curl into fists at her sides. "Fine. Then I'll make you leave."

Her fist strikes the wall behind me, the stone cracking from the force of it. Thank god I have fast reflexes or else my face might look like the ugly crater she's created in the brickwork. I thought the collision with the hard material might faze her, but again I'm wrong.

I have to dodge the next blow to my face and block the jab at my side, which is not the easiest thing to do when your trapped in a tiny space. My foot collides with a bucket, generating a loud noise but I bare it no mind. Instead, I move on the offensive, catching both of her wrists in a grip of steel.

Her next move is too predictable. Her knee moves upwards to deliver a very painful blow however I twist my legs out of the way and wrap them around hers, rendering them immobile for the time being. She struggles to release herself but I push forward, trapping her between the shelving of cleaning products and me.

"Now," I say calmly as she glares daggers at me. "You can either tell me what exactly you're doing here or we can stay here all night and let your target get home safe and sound. What's it going to be, brat?"

Her glare intensifies briefly before her eyes soften into a look of mirth and confidence. "Neither," she replies, before tilting her head up to the sky and opening her mouth wide. "Please sir, don't hurt me! Please, help! Someone, help me! Get him off of me!"

Before I realise exactly what she's doing, it's too late. The door flies open and the sober man of the group stands there, eyes wide in alarm. I look at her in shock before turning back to Mikasa who has a false expression of terror on her face.

"You sneaky bitch," I growl under my breath and she winks discretely at me.

Suddenly there's a strong hand around my neck and I'm yanked away from her roughly. "Get off of her!" He yells in my ear, nearly deafening me.

My instincts come into effect and I send a strong kick to his knee. A yelp of surprise and pain escapes him and in my rush for a quick exit, I spot only one. Before he can get his hands on me again, I jump out the nearest window, rolling along the ground and hiding in the greenery.

He appears beside the window, leaning out of it and searching for me but it's useless. I'm well-hidden away. Mikasa then appears beside him and places a tentative hand on his arm. "Thank you so much sir, I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't heard me scream."

His furious expression melts at her innocent voice and features. I automatically roll my eyes in disgust. "No problem, ma'am. Are you alright?"

"I am because of you. I don't know how I'll repay you..." My stomach clenches and I feel like getting sick at her high-pitched voice. It's so unlike her, anyone who knows her would tell she's putting on an act. But this buffoon is oblivious. He leans down and whispers something in her ear, to which she nods and they disappear from my view.

My heart skips a beat in alarm and I'm about to move out of the bushes when two figures reappear to the side. The man has his arm around Mikasa, his fingers squeezing her waist and moving lower every second as the pair stop to the left of the window, right beside the corner.

Mikasa turns towards him. I can only see her back, I can't see her face but his lights up with excitement and lust. His lips part to expose pearly white teeth and he leans downwards, his grip tightening on her petite frame.

My hands curl into fists automatically, my toe buries into the ground and I'm getting ready to launch myself at the filthy scumbag but Mikasa beats me to it.

It all happens so fast, I can barely register it. In just a second, his hands are behind his back and she's swung him around the corner, pushing him roughly against the wall. Her right arm raises and there's a flash of steel in the dim light as a thin, sleek blade protrudes from her bracelet and kisses his neck.

"What the hell-?!"

"Quiet," she hisses, putting pressure on her hold on him. "No one can hear you and no one will find you for a very long time if you do not cooperate."

"You're making a mistake. Do you know who I am? I am the CEO of Reeves' industry, I can have you sued and locked away for this-"

"You can now, yes," she cuts him off before lowering her voice to a dead whisper. "But how is a corpse going to say anything?"

The fury in his features fades to fear and his eyes bulge from his sockets. He's silent for a minute, his eyes moving down to the blade at his neck before he releases a small breath in defeat. "What do you want? Money? Status?"

"Information," she answers. "You have a close business associate, I want to know where I can find him."

"We have many business associates, you're going to have to be more specific."

"His name is Keena Mrynack," she replies seriously. "I believe he travels around a lot. I want to know who he travels with, the location of his accommodation and where and when I can find him."

"As far as I know, he travels alone although there used to be a young girl with him, I'm not sure what happened to her. He doesn't tell us where he goes or when he'll come though. He just appears without warning and he doesn't stay for long."

"You're hiding something." Her arm moves slightly and a drop of blood trails down his neck.

This is when he begins to panic. "I-I swear, I don't know anymore! He just comes and goes when he pleases, he doesn't give us any warning! If I could tell you when he is coming I would!"

"How often does he appear?" She demands.

"Not often, maybe once every three months," he answers quickly. "He only really comes if he has a job close by or if we employ his services. That's all!"

She makes a displeased sound in the back of her throat and her blade retracts into her bracelet. With one hand, she throws him away from her and he stumbles to the ground. She stands over him with cold grey eyes and a hand on her hip.

"You will not tell Mrynack of my existence and you will carry on employing him as if this night never happened." Her blade appears threateningly and she raises a brow. "Do you understand?"

"Y-yes. I won't utter a word."

"I know you won't."


	12. Legends and Legs

**A/N: sorry for the slightly later update. I wrote this chapter so many times but I wasn't really happy with their actions and interactions. I still think they could be better. Any ways I hope you like it and again, thank you for your patience :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Twelve: Legends and Legs

"Do it again."

Mikasa straightens from her landing position and looks towards me with dead grey eyes. "I've already done it five times, why will a sixth make any difference?"

"Because, you could just be getting lucky and luck is not going to win us the championships or get you your scholarship," I reply. "Now do it again."

She blows a stray strand of black hair out of her face and launches back into the air. Her wires attach themselves to a horizontal pole and she rises upwards, completing three loops around the pole before shooting forwards and curling around the corner. Her posture is perfect, her body is completely balanced and her expression gives nothing away. She lands neatly in front of me before straightening up.

"What's next?" She asks in a monotone.

"Nothing," I answer, moving towards the benches and taking a drink of my water. "You've finished all the exercises and learned most of the basic tactics you'll need for the races tomorrow. To be honest, I didn't think you would get it this fast, I thought it would take weeks."

"Thanks," she mutters sarcastically, taking a seat beside me. "So who are we competing against in the quarter finals?"

"It's not the quarter finals, it's the semi finals and we're competing against Sina Academy."

She pauses in her drinking. "What happened to the quarters?"

"I got a call to say our opponents had recently gone out drinking to celebrate their victory and were involved in a car crash," I reply with a shrug. "None of them escaped without something broken, so none could compete and we got a golden ticket into the next round. Lucky us."

She nods once. "So what's Sina Academy like?"

"They'll be tougher than Marlo and Hitch anyway," I reply lowly. "Sina Academy is one of the richest schools in the country, only the snobs with their heads up their fathers' asses can possibly afford to enrol there. They have all the facilities, all the equipment and all the steroids they could ever need to boost their chances of winning these races."

"So we don't like them," she summarises.

"We despise them," I reply.

"You despise everyone."

"Not everyone," I shrug once. "Erwin is tolerable."

"Who's Erwin?"

"He's my roommate, he used to go to the school but he graduated a while ago. He used to be the captain of our team, he's great with tactics and dirty tricks, I learned everything from him. ODM training was his life when he was here, it's how he got his own scholarship."

"He must be smart," she murmurs offhandedly.

"Too smart for his own good," I scoff. "He once told me this story of how ODM racing was created. Apparently, a man read a legend about giant humanoid creatures called titans who used to devour humans viscously just for fun. The humans built forty metre walls to protect themselves from them and so they could live in peace, but really they were just birds trapped in a birdcage."

"Why didn't they fight?" She asks, turning towards me and I'm surprised to see she actually looks interested in the story. Her lips are parted slightly and her hair is tucked behind her ears, exposing her curious eyes.

"They did. They created this gear, except the handles had swords attached to them. The only way to slay a titan was to cut open the back of their neck, so they had to fly around and slice through with their swords."

"Why didn't they go out and try kill all the titans?" She asks interestedly.

"Some did, others remained inside out of fear. The ones who ventured outside into the unknown were called the Survey Corps. There weren't many of them, only the brave and the skilled could join or else they wouldn't survive. They fought for knowledge and freedom and despite the casualties they endured and the risk of dying in each mission, they persevered until they won the battle."

"I think I would have joined," she says softly, looking up towards the course above. "Freedom is always something worth fighting for. If you don't fight, you can't win your freedom. You might as well be dead."

As she finishes her explanation, I notice the monotone has left her voice and something else has replaced it. It's not exactly passion but it's close and it contains a little bit of determination. Her gaze seems distant, as though her memories have clouded her vision and I think I've learned a little more about her. Her freedom has been stolen before and she's fought to get it back.

It's starting to make sense. Little by little, the pieces are beginning to fit together in my head. She's an Oriental - a Shinigami and her ancestors were persecuted for generations, denied their freedom. She knows how to fight for her freedom and she speaks as though she's still fighting but what is she fighting?

Or maybe the question is who is she fighting?

"Did Keen Mrynack try to take your freedom away?" I ask daringly, watching her reaction carefully.

She closes her eyes, almost in annoyance and releases a long breath through her nose. "So you did hear all of that. Somehow I knew you were out there that night, I should've been more cautious."

She trails off into silence and I know exactly what she's trying to do. "You still haven't answered my question."

She doesn't react to my prodding, instead she tilts her head back so that her raven locks fall gently over her scarf and shoulder. I never realised how long her dark lashes are until she blinks slowly, her mind a thousand miles away.

"He tried and he failed," she says quietly. "When you're a child, there's not much you can do to fight against adults but you're not completely helpless all the same. So I fought and I got out. Now I just need to make sure he doesn't find me before I find him."

"What will you do once you find him?" I ask. I can't say I'm not curious to see if she will confess to plotting murder.

She turns and looks me dead in the eye. Her irises are as hard as steel and twice as sharp, like a predator's weapon. "I'll make sure he never bothers me again."

With that she gets up and begins to detach her gear, thus ending the conversation. Something feels off though and I know I'm not getting the full story. I'd be surprised if I even got half of it. Nevertheless, I let the subject drop, happy with what I've learned so far and begin to detach my own gear.

"Alright, go grab a shower and we can go back to yours to begin the maths grinds," I tell her. "Make sure you have your textbook and notes from class. If you're not back out here in ten minutes, I'm leaving without you."

She nods once in understanding before heading towards the female changing rooms while I begin to make my way towards the men's. It's then I realise I've left my phone on the bench, so I have to backtrack to get it. Just as my hand touches it, it vibrates with a new message. It's from an unknown number.

' **Sweet Dreams Shorty**.'

The phone falls from my hand as a chain is suddenly wrapped around my neck, cutting off my air supply and pulling me backwards. My vision blurs briefly and I send a strong elbow into my attacker, causing him to yelp in pain. His grip loosens slightly and I move to hit him again but my hands are restrained my two other figures. I pull against them relentlessly, kicking with my legs but a fourth joins them and I'm severely overpowered.

As a last ditch effort, I put all of my strength into pulling my right arm free. The muscles scream in protest from the exertion but I persevere. Their grip slips and with my free limb, I send a wild punch to the other one's face, causing him to cry out in pain.

I still have to deal with the one with the chain though. It tightens around my neck with each second and I can't breathe anymore. I'm choking. My vision is going black. The pain of my windpipes and throat being crushed is so intense despite my semi-conscious state.

One strangled cry manages to leave my mouth as I kick backwards at his legs but I miss and the chain tightens. I'm running out of options here, if I don't get myself free, I'm not going to be able... to... stay... awake...

The one behind me cries out in pain suddenly and he loses his grip. The chain falls to the ground and my knees buckle from the sudden relief. Air floods my lungs and I gasp and cough, rubbing my bruised skin.

"What the hell?!" One shouts and I look only to see him fall to the ground beside me. He spits out blood and a tooth falls to the gym floor.

I have to get away, I have to recover quickly before I will be able to defend myself efficiently. I stumble to my feet, pushing myself off the ground and move backwards, preparing for another assault.

They're too busy with the raven-haired menace in front of me.

Mikasa stand before me, in nothing but a shirt and underwear. Her hands are out in front of her, hands curls into fists and legs spread wide apart for balance. The two boys and girl before her stare in shock and slight fear and it's now that I realise who they are.

"Sina Academy's ODM team," I snarl and Mikasa looks back at me.

"These are our competition for the semi-finals?" She asks with a raised brow. It seems she meant it as a rhetorical question because she turns back to look at them. "They don't look like much competition."

"You don't look like a filthy prostitute," the girl spits in her posh accent, eyeing Mikasa up and down. "But you know what they say, honey, appearances can be deceiving."

"Especially with those scars," one of the boys adds. "How disgusting."

I don't quite understand what he means until my vision focuses. I know it's wrong to stare at a girl's legs especially when she's in nothing but a half-buttoned shirt and panties but I can't help it. My eyes are glued to the faded purple and red markings running up and down her snow white skin. Some are bigger than others but all look old and deep.

Mikasa doesn't give me much time to look because she's already launched herself at the centre boy. He dodges her first punch by a fraction of a hair but she uses her momentum to spin and deliver a strong kick. Despite her bare feet, it's a merciless, painful blow and it sends him to the ground.

Her back is open and the second boy is about to take advantage of it. I can see his fist rise threateningly but I'm already moving to cover her. My arm rises to block and I drive my fist deep into his gut. He releases a choked sob of saliva and blood before crumpling to the ground.

Mikasa looks at me in thanks briefly before going after the fleeing girl. The chain, that had been lying discarded on the ground, is taken up by the posh female and she strikes out at Mikasa.

I yell at her to look out but the end catches her cheek and blood dribbles down too her exposed collarbone. She doesn't let it phase her though, instead she rolls to dodge the next strike before cartwheeling backwards to give her space.

Mikasa rushes forwards and the girl's arm rolls backwards, ready to strike out again. However if there's one thing I know about Mikasa, it's that she's not one to be burned twice by the same flame. At the last second, the girl strikes out but Mikasa ducks and twists, placing both hands flat on the ground and striking out with her right foot.

Her heel connects strongly with the girl's chin, knocking her head backwards. I see my chance and rush forward, sending a kick straight into her chest and bringing her down once and for all. Stepping back beside Mikasa, she straightens up and looks around at the four defeated students.

"Should we kill them?" She whispers to me in a low voice.

I'm not sure if she's joking or not. "No, we'll just show the police the security footage. They'll see it was self-defence."

"So what do we do with them now?"

"Let them crawl out of here with their tails between their legs," I reply, looking towards her. "Speaking of legs..."

I force my eyes to stay on her face as I nod downwards discretely. Her brows draw together as she looks down in confusion. Her neck snaps upwards and her lips part in surprise. Gone is the deadly assassin demeanour, replaced by a blushing, embarrassed, speechless girl.

"I... You..." She stutters, her cheeks growing redder by the second. "Close your eyes!"

She slaps her hand over my eyes and I restrain for smirking. "It's not like I haven't seen it all already."

"I said keep them closed!" She hisses before her hand leaves my eyes and she rushes away, back into the girls' changing room. I can't help but peek at her, watching as she ducks behind the door and out of sight.

I've only realised now that I never thanked her.

I walk over to the boy who tried to choke me with the chain. He's practically crawling out the door on all fours, blood dripping from his nose. I bend down to his pitiful level and shake my head. "You can kiss your place in the finals goodbye after this little event."

He mutters a curse under his breath just as Mikasa reappears out from the changing rooms, fully clothed this time. She can't seem to look at me as she approaches. Her hair hangs about her face, shadowing her features.

"Let's go," she murmurs, walking past me towards the door.

I want to say to her that I haven't exactly had time to shower but I hold back and follow her. I didn't break that much of a sweat anyway. She hops into my car and I put my bag in the boot before getting in the driver's seat.

She's completely silent as we drive. I rub my sore neck every few seconds, the skin feels rough and slightly swollen but it's nothing I worm get over. Mikasa keeps her head turned away from me, constantly looking out the window. I can see she's blushing in the reflection and the tension rises to an uncomfortable level. I want to thank her for her help but at the same time I don't want to show her that I needed her help. It's a matter of pride.

So I settle for the only thing I can really say.

"The scars..." I begin after clearing my throat. "They're not disgusting."

She turns to look at me finally, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "Thanks."

I'm pretty sure I almost made her smile.


	13. Busy Days, Starry Nights

**A/N: Wow, sorry this is a week late but you'll see why when you read it. It's an extra long one so I needed more time to write it, anyway I hope you like it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Thirteen: Busy Days, Starry Nights

Last weekend, I got a call from the ODM tournament committee saying that due to recent events (I'm pretty sure they mean the fact that the opposition tried to kill me and would have succeeded only for Mikasa) our competitors have been disqualified. At the time I was angry, I would have enjoyed nothing more than running their hopes, dreams and faces into the dirt. I don't think Mikasa was too pleased either, she has just as strong a lust for blood as I do.

However now, I don't mind because it means we get a premium ticket to the finals next month.

So for the last week, we've been as busy as hell. Erwin volunteered to take some time off of his cold case to give Hanji and Jean some extra training while I train Mikasa. I'd like to say this week has been the calmest of my life since Hanji has been absent for most of it, but I can't because it's been a whirlwind.

All because of a certain Oriental...

* * *

 **Monday**.

"Name three functions of the liver!" I yell at the girl in the air.

Mikasa grits her teeth and begins her loop around the poles. "To produce bile, to store fat soluble vitamins, to break down poisons-"

"Such as?" I shout up to her.

Her wires retract and she runs across the swaying logs, keeping her balance perfectly. "Drugs and alcohol!"

"Name the adaptions of the ileum for reabsorption!"

"Large surface area due to villi and micro-villi," she answers as she enters a tunnel, arms and legs string and tense. "Surrounded by a large network of capillaries and..." She hesitates slightly. "Their walls are only one cell thick?"

As she finishes her answer, her wires shoot back into her gear and she begins to land in front of me. Gracefully, she rolls along the ground and jumps to her feet.

"Not bad," I say as I look down at her score. "Your time was two minutes and forty seconds and you managed to answer eight questions correctly." I give her a serious look. "But you can do better, so get back up in the air."

"Again?" She sighs, her grey eyes clouding with annoyance.

"Absolutely, we haven't even covered the excretion or ecology questions," I reply, trying not to smirk as I tap my stopwatch. "And time is ticking."

She manages a quick glare before shooting off.

* * *

 **Tuesday**

"I can think of a hundred better things I could be doing than hanging around a shopping centre in my free class," Mikasa deadpans, clearly unimpressed. "Why are we here?"

"Not to hang around," I reply, "it's a test."

"A test?" She repeats unsurely. "What kind of test?"

"A speed one," I answer, gesturing towards the crowded corridors. "And a logical one."

There's a glint of competitiveness in her eyes, the same one that appeared during the qualifying rounds. Good, at least now I know she's going to take this seriously.

"Alright, what are the rules and what are the rewards?"

"I give you a clue and you have to figure out which shop I'm talking about and reach said shop by sprinting through the crowds. This will help you with your decision-making and manoeuvring skills."

"That doesn't sound too hard," she mutters, then her eyes narrow on me. "What's the catch?"

I resist the urge to smirk. "Glad you asked. I'll be racing against you and I'll be giving you a three second head start. If you win, I treat you to lunch. If I win, lunch is on you and you also have to take Jean to the Winter Dance."

"Did Jean ask you to put in that last part?"

"No," I answer, my face completely serious. "Are you ready?"

She drops her bag to the floor and rolls up her sleeves. "Ready."

"Take nine to the power of a half away from six," I tell her. "Then multiply your answer by the square root of forty-nine. Your answer should follow eternity."

Her face scrunches up into an expression of thought and I can practically see the cogs and gears working in her head. Her fingers twitch at her sides, a sign she desperately wants a calculator, it's a good thing I told Hanji to steal it from her bag earlier on this morning.

"You have two seconds left," I tell her.

"Six minus three..." She mutters biting down on her bottom lip. "Multiplied by seven... Eternity?"

"One second left," I murmur, staring at my watch.

Her eyes widen and her lips part in realisation. "Forever 21," she whispers before darting into the crowd.

I honestly didn't think she'd get it so soon. The last second ticks by and in a flash I pick up her bag and rush off after her. I can see her black hair swish and sway as she pivots to avoid shoppers and security guards. Her skirt trails after her with each step she takes. She's already halfway there and I'm still behind her.

There's a parting in the crowd to my left and I dart through it. A line of space opens up and it gives me the chance to run at full speed so that I make it to the escalator before her. I don't look back to see if she's annoyed at the top, instead I push my way down them, rolling around people and trying not to trip.

There are Halloween decorations hanging on strings that traipse down from floor to floor and they blur into an orange and black mess beside me with my speed. I'm nearly at the bottom but an unusually large man blocks my way. There's no way I can get around him.

I look back up to the top but Mikasa is nowhere in sight. I've got this in the bag, I can't wait to see the look on her face when she has to take Jean as a date to the dance and-

Suddenly, the line of Halloween decorations shake and the sound of balloons popping resounds through the air. I look back only for a white and black blur to rush past me, generating enough wind to shake my hair.

Mikasa hangs onto a balloon, her hair billows out behind her and her eyes are wide and light with excitement and adrenaline. The balloon somehow manages to stay in tact on the loop on the string as she glides down gracefully, rolling to the ground as she lands.

She jumps to her feet and gives me a mocking salute before turning on her heel and sprinting the last few metres to Forever 21. Once the escalator reaches the bottom, I merely stroll over to her. She wears a smug expression on her face and her arms are crossed while she waits.

I throw her bag to her and she catches it effortlessly. "Alright, not bad," I admit as we begin to walk away. "Where do you want to eat?"

"You're buying," she replies with a shrug. "I'll let you choose."

* * *

 **Wednesday**

"Any particular reason that this exercise requires me to be tied to a chair?" Mikasa asks dryly with a raised brow.

"Ooh Levi, I didn't realise you were into that kinky stuff," Hanji catcalls from the corner of the chemistry lab as she puts away the excess rope.

"Shut it four eyes," I glare at her before turning to Mikasa. "And it's so you can't attack me during the exercise."

Her eye twitches and the movement causes my stomach to clench slightly. "Why would I feel the need to attack you?"

Her voice is dead serious, matching her face and I can instantly tell that she is not going to be a happy trooper after this. It's a good thing I have Hanji as a witness in case she attempts murder. I move towards the desk, taking the stopwatch from the wooden surface along with the flash cards.

"Because," I begin as Hanji comes and takes the flash cards from me and I produce a box full of clothes from under the desk. "You won't like the punishment."

"Punishment?" She repeats before her grey eyes focus on the box and she growls. "Are those my clothes?"

"Yes they are and for each question you answer wrong or fail to answer before five seconds, one article of clothing will be dumped into here," I answer, producing another box filled almost to the brim.

"Is that pink dye?" She asks through gritted teeth.

"Congratulations on your observational skills, I just hope your memory serves you as well," I reply, "for the sake of your clothes."

She moves her shoulders but the ropes constricting her wrists don't allow her to get anywhere. Shadows dance across her eyes and her pupils seem so dark as she glares into my soul. "Let me out of this chair, right now."

"There are twenty questions; all you have to do is answer them correctly and your clothes are safe. Hanji, begin the questioning."

"What is the function of the stem in plants?" She asks and I start the stop watch.

"Let me out-"

"Wrong answer." I cut her off and her cream top is in the dye. I can practically see her grey eyes go red, but I turn to Hanji. "Next question."

"Name the organelle responsible for respiration."

She doesn't answer immediately and I gesture towards the stopwatch impatiently. She narrows her eyes even further before she scoffs. "Mitochondrion."

Her denim shorts are safe for now.

"Name three components of the blood."

"Red blood cells, white blood cells and..." She pauses and her face creases with thought and confusion.

"Time's up," I tel her before her denim shorts go in the dye.

"Stop it, I don't have the money to buy more clothes!" She growls, beginning to struggle in her chair.

"Stop getting questions wrong and we won't have a problem, you were supposed to have studied this!" I argue back.

"I did study it, you need to give me more time to answer!"

"You shouldn't need anymore time if you studied properly," I tell her calmly but lowly, watching as her dark brows draw together and her sanity finally snaps.

"That. Is. It." Her voice comes out as a snarl and the rope falls around her feet, the ends rugged from being cut open. As she jumps to her feet, red murder blazing in her eyes I suddenly realise I completely forgot to remove her bladed bracelet.

She dashes towards me, as fast as lightning but I'm equally as quick. I roll under the desk as she jumps over it, her fist crushing the spot where my head had just been. In her haste she had completely disregarded her clothes and the bucket of dye.

We both just watch as the box of clothes tumbles from the side of the desk in slow motion, all articles of material falling straight into the bucket of dye. It sloshes messily over the side as it engulfs all the hats, t-shirts, jackets and bottoms.

Her mouth is open in shock and she merely stares at the pink bucket that seems to lead directly to hell. My eyes are focused solely on her, waiting to see if she'll cry or go for my throat again. Although it's stupid to assume it will be the former.

"You should've just answered the questions," I say gesturing to the destroyed clothes.

Obviously this is the wrong thing to say as her head snaps towards me like a predator and her goal becomes clear once again. She vaults herself back over the table, her fists drawn back to deliver a blow and I get ready to block however she never gets that far.

Something whizzes in from the side and flies directly into her thigh, causing her to stop in her sprint. A small cry of pain escapes her lips - it's almost cute - and she looks down in shock at the needle in her side. With a jerk she pulls it out and lets it clatter to the floor, glass shards flying across the wood. She stares in shock at the mad scientist holding some sort of homemade needle shooting gun in the corner of the room.

"Hanji?" She murmurs sleepily. "What... is... this...?"

The last word is barley a whisper and her eyes slide shut. Her muscles slacken and she begins to fall forward, black hair swaying about her eyes and face no longer full of killer instinct.

I rush forward, if only to prevent her from falling in the glass, and she drops limply into my arms, her chin resting on my shoulder. Soft snores emit from her and brush past my ear, tickling the hairs on my neck.

Slowly, I lower us both to the floor, adjusting my arms around her to get a better grip and make sure she doesn't slip out of my reach. Hanji comes towards us, the gun held over her shoulder as she pushes up her glasses on her nose.

"What the hell was that syringe?" I ask, looking down at the unconscious girl.

"That, my dear Ackerman, was my secretive snore serum," she explains proudly. "It sends its victims into a deep sleep and also erases their memory of the last fifteen minutes of consciousness before being injected."

I wish I hadn't asked. "And how long is she going to be asleep for?" I question tiredly.

"Probably for another twelve hours, the dosage in that one was quite strong since I knew it would take a lot to bring her down," she answers matter-of-factly. "I mean that dosage was five times the recommended human intake and even then she managed to stay awake for four seconds after it entered her bloodstream. She's such a spectacular specimen!"

"Spectacular indeed," I mutter in annoyance. "Now what am I going to do with her?"

Hanji shrugs. "Just take her back to your place for the night and then you can drive her to school in the morning."

"Tch, fine," I scoff and with a grunt, hoist Mikasa over my shoulder as though she's a sack of potatoes. A sack of potatoes would probably be lighter.

Hanji then sidles up to me, her glasses shining evilly in the false light. "Or if it's too much trouble for you, I could take her for the night-"

"No, she'd probably be dead in the morning," I cut her off immediately as I grab my things and make my way out the door.

"But she has proven to be quite resilient!" Hanji calls after me.

"I don't care. You are not getting your hands on her."

* * *

 **Thursday**

"Who's in the shower?" Erwin asks beside me. I look at him briefly from the side, just in time to see those massive golden eyebrows wiggle suggestively at me.

My glare could wither a daffodil in the prime of its bloom. "A psychotic assassin."

It's only half a lie.

Erwin whistles beneath his breath as I pass him the batter mixture and he pours a fraction into the frying pan while I begin to clean up. "I never thought you'd be bringing women home this soon."

"I didn't plan on it," I mutter.

Erwin flips the pancake and gives me a sideways smirk. "So a no-strings-attached-one-night-stand then?"

"No, Hanji developed her own tranquilliser and decided to test it out on the newest member of the ODM team before making a quick escape. I would have left her in the chemistry lab however only God knows who would find her."

"So you do care." He doesn't say it in a mocking way or in a sarcastic voice, he's completely serious as he looks at me.

I make the mistake of meeting his eyes and my muscles size up. My scrubbing ceases as my hands freeze in place in the soapy water. The kitchen is suddenly very quiet and for some reason I'm holding my breath. There's a sinking feeling in my stomach but I don't know why.

Is it true? Have I actually started to... care for her? For the stoic, annoying, stubborn, Oriental? Sure, I let her sleep in my bed while I slept on the couch last night and I offered to tutor her and I went out of my way to drop her home and stop her from falling and hurting herself on more than one occasion...

"Tch, this is all Hanji's fault," I mutter as I snap back to reality and begin scrubbing the dishes more vigorously.

"There's no need to be embarrassed, you were going to discover you had a heart eventually," Erwin chides mockingly as he makes the third pancake.

My hand clenches around the soapy knife and I point it at him threateningly. "Continue on this thread of conversation and I will ensure you have no heart left in your chest."

Erwin just chuckles in response. "As you wish," he says before his ears prick slightly at the sound of footsteps. "Here comes your girlfriend now."

Before I can throw the knife at his head, Mikasa walks into the kitchen. Her hair is still damp from the shower and hangs limply about her face. She pauses slightly in the door, looking back and forth between us for a second before nodding once.

It's at this stage I notice she's wearing nothing but a bath towel that exposes her shoulders and reaches just above her knees. She's holding it up against her chest with one hand but surprisingly, she's still wearing her bladed bracelet.

"Good morning," she says after clearing her throat.

"Morning," I reply, putting the last of the dishes on the draining board while Erwin puts the pancakes in the centre of the table.

He smiles politely at her. "I'm Erwin, pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Nice to meet you," she says but she doesn't tell him her name. I cock my head to the side and narrow my eyes on her but she doesn't meet my gaze. I can tell Erwin has noticed as well, but he doesn't comment on it.

She looks towards me, her face completely straight. "Can I borrow some clothes?"

She's not the slightest bit embarrassed or bashful which makes me wonder if she's even human. "Sure," I mutter, removing the yellow rubber gloves and moving towards the laundry room.

"What happened to your clothes?" Erwin asks as I grab a green shirt and black pants for her.

"Your roommate broke into my apartment at some stage, took my clothes and dumped them into a bucket of pink dye."

I freeze in the doorway, clothes in hand and stare directly at her. I barely notice Erwin's perplexed gaze as Mikasa's glare encompasses my vision. She crosses her arms over her towel-covered chest and raises a black brow.

"Remember?" She prods, her voice low and deadly.

"I do but you're not supposed to," I reply through gritted teeth.

"You might want to tell Hanji that her serums have different affects on different people and I happen to be immune to memory tampering," she says as she takes the clothes off of me. "And although I was asleep, I could still hear everything including your singing in the car."

With that, she turns on her heel and marches back up the stairs to the room to get changed, leaving Erwin and I in a stunning silence. He looks towards me but I don't meet his gaze, knowing if I do, I'll be subjected to one of his smart comments.

"The serum obviously causes hallucinations," I say as I bite into a pancake and run back up the stairs to get my school books.

* * *

 **Friday**

It's late when Mikasa strolls out of the café. Her rollerblades are tied together and hang over one shoulder as she checks her payment for the week. She looks slightly troubled as she sighs and runs her fingers through her hair in a tired manner.

She pauses in her step as her eyes raise and lock onto me. I give a discrete wave as I push myself off against my car and walk halfway to meet her.

"Where's your psychotic friend?" She asks warily, her eyes searching the shadows.

"In her psychotic house, by her psychotic self, running psychotic experiments," I answer nonchalantly.

Something similar to relief crosses her features. "So what are you doing here? Did we arrange training for today?"

"No, I'm here to drop you home," I say, opening the door and holding it for her.

She doesn't move a muscle. "Why?"

"You'll see when we get there." My patience is beginning to wear thin but she seems to accept my answer and climbs in easily. She's very used to doing it by now.

The drive feels very short and comfortable. Mikasa's breathing is even and she no longer tenses or holds up her guard when we're alone together. Overtime, I think she has adapted to my habits and body language the same way I have to her.

Once we reach the outside of her door, she pauses and gives me a serious look. "Now is the time to tell me if Hanji is going to jump out behind this door and shoot me with another one of her homemade serums. Because if she is, I will use you as a shield."

"Tch, I'd like to see you try," I mutter before I shake my head. "No, I can assure you there are no nasty surprises in there."

I toss a small key up into the air and she catches it instinctively before opening her palm and looking at it in wonder. Her eyes meet mine and I can tell she hasn't a clue about what she's about to get. "What's this?"

"There's a box in there, I suggest you open it," I say vaguely before shoving my hands in my pockets and beginning to make my way back down the corridor. "And don't worry, I don't have a key to your apartment, I'm just good at picking locks."

I can faintly hear her mutter something along the lines of ' _well that will help me sleep easier at night_ ,' as I turn the corner and vanish out of sight. I take the stairs two at a time before the cold air of the night hits my face when I push my way out the door.

I manage to avoid stepping in the drunk man who is passed out and sleeping soundly on the steps. A woman dressed in nothing but a tank top and panties, tries to throw herself on me, offering her services but I ignore her and dodge her long finger nails as I get to my car.

"Hey!" I hear a voice call from above as a window squeaks open. I look up and Mikasa's head pops out as she leans over the ledge. The stars seem to frame her head like a glittering halo and she waves down to me.

"Thank you..." she trails off and looks away. Even from this far down, I can tell she's swallowing hard and getting ready to throw her pride to the wind in order to get the words out. "Thank you... for the lift home and... and the chest of clothes."

I look down, hiding my pleased expression before my usual uncaring mask covers my features once again. Then, I turn my head towards the sky and raise a brow nonchalantly. "Tch, that's the worst 'thank you' I've ever heard. Try again tomorrow, I want a proper sentiment of gratitude, brat. And make sure you wear the red top!"

I turn away and open the car door, ready to jump in and drive off. The other drunken and dirty inhabitants watch our little conversation curiously and I want to yell at them to mind their own business but again, Mikasa draws me away from my murderous thoughts.

"Levi," her voice is quieter now, almost as though she's nervous but then again, I don't think that word is in her vocabulary. I turn once more to look up at her with a raised brow. "How did you know red is my favourite colour?"

"Because it suits you," I call up to her softly.

Her expression is a lot more content and gentle as I swing myself into my car. She doesn't duck back into her room until I've reversed and driven out of the estate. It's only when I look in the rear view mirror do I see her give a small wave in farewell as I drive on.

For some reason, the stars seem to shine brighter tonight.


	14. Memories of Nightmares

**A/N: I honestly don't have a reason as to why this is so late, although I did rewrite it numerous times because I didn't like the way I portrayed their actions. Again, I thank you all for your patience and I hope you like this update (it is a slightly longer one) :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Fourteen: Memories of Nightmares

To say the weeks are flying by would be an understatement. Everyday is different and new but it comes and goes in a blur. We train for the ODM races, we go about our daily lives in school, I tutor Mikasa on her nights off and sometimes on her breaks at work and I drop her home each night.

Needless to say, rumours have started to spread.

I ignore them for the most part, people don't really have the guts to say them out in the open when I'm around. Mikasa is a different story. They don't know that she is actually a trained assassin belonging to some ancient organisation so they confront her about it. I've told her on many occasions to ignore them or kill them, whichever suits her best.

So now they just talk about us behind our backs.

I can feel the stares right now as we sit together in biology. Mikasa is indifferent as usual while the teacher gives a lecture to the students who forgot their homework. When I hear someone whisper our names, I turn around and glare, causing the girl to yelp in surprise and cower behind her friend.

"I'm pretty sure that's harassment," Mikasa mutters under her breath.

"You're pretty sure, you're not a hundred per cent certain," I reply as I settle back into my seat. "Therefore no charges can be applied."

"Since when did you become a lawyer?"

"Since when did you become talkative?" I shoot back.

She scoffs and shakes her head. "I suppose spending time in a public school and around a midget like you has loosened me up a bit."

"We're the same height," I deadpan before my eyes narrow on her face. I turn back to my copy and casually flick through the pages. "In fact, I'm slightly taller."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," she mutters before she turns towards me. "By the way, I won't be at training today."

"Why not?" I demand, not at all pleased considering the finals are coming up soon.

"I have to collect a friend," she replies vaguely. "I'll be there tomorrow."

"What do you mean 'collect a friend'? You can't even drive, you don't own a car," I point out in annoyance.

"I know, I'm taking the bus," she replies.

"Take a later bus," I tell her. "Then you can make training."

"I can't, I need to be there before seven," she says, her voice slightly lower and containing less patience; a sure sign I'm treading on thin ice.

"Any time before seven?" I enquire.

"Yes," she slams her sheets down on the table and looks towards me with fiery grey eyes. "What does it matter?"

"Then I will drop you up after school, we can collect your friend and we can train at a later time," I answer, ignoring her sharp tone. "Ok?"

"That is not a good idea," she says immediately.

"Why? Are they rude and unpleasant?"

"No more rude and unpleasant than you are," she mutters.

"Do they bite? I can deal with biters, you've bitten me on many occasions-"

"It was once and you deserved it."

"That's irrelevant," I tell her, before turning back towards the board. "Now meet me outside the school and I'll drop you up and bring your rude, biting friend back and we can train. Deal?"

She pauses and looks back towards the board as well with a dejected sigh. "There's not much point in me saying 'no', is there?"

* * *

Unlike most of our trips in my car, this one is full of conversation. Mainly about study and tests and college. Right now, I'm questioning her on her maths, getting her to recite formulae and define some key words for statistics. At this rate, she just lists them off automatically, proving to me that she really does have them learnt off by heart. I'd be lying if I said I'm not impressed with her.

As the lessons run dry and silence descends on us, Mikasa finally approaches the topic I've been most curious about.

"About my friend," she chokes out the last word and I glance at her sideways, but I don't say anything, "don't ask questions and don't give personal details."

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I said so," she replies bluntly. "Now turn right in through these black gates."

I do as I'm told, slowing down as the car moves onto a gravel surface and a long lane way stretches ahead of us. My eyes follow it slowly, until they raise to gaze at a large concrete facility with high electric fences, barbed wire and security cameras.

"This is a prison," I say immediately.

"It's a juvenile detention centre," she corrects me unemotionally as we pull to a stop in front of the high metal gates. A guard approaches us and Mikasa hand reaches out to open the door but it shakes slightly. I say nothing as she steps out of the car. She moves calmly with her hands away from her sides but not completely held in the air, showing she has no weapons on her. The two don't come any closer than four feet and Mikasa says something I can't hear. The guard nods once and says something into his walkie-talkie.

Mikasa takes a step back as the gates open and she looks up at the large facility with blank eyes. Her hair ruffles in the cool wind and she shivers for a brief moment, but somehow, I don't think it's from the cold. Her hand raises and she moves towards the gates.

It's then I see the other girl approaching her. She's about the same height, with pale skin and ice-cold blue eyes and a nose as big as my hand. Her blonde hair is tied back in a low bun with strands framing her stony face.

She doesn't look excited to be getting out, she doesn't look happy to see Mikasa, she looks like she's about to murder someone. Her face is an iron mask but her eyes betray the murderous intent within.

I did not sign up for this.

The two girls pause before they reach each other and then embrace stiffly. Mikasa's lips move against her ear as they pull away and the girl's eyes narrow before she looks directly at me. Her glare intensifies briefly, but as Mikasa draws her attention back to her, she seems to relax slightly.

As the girls move towards the car, I'm suddenly glad that Mikasa is with me. It's not that I can't handle a fight but when I'm driving, I'd prefer to have a skilled assassin with me to help if things do get hairy.

The back door opens and the blonde haired girl hops in, throwing her rucksack into the seat beside her. Mikasa sits in the front with me as the gates begin to close.

"Are we finished here?" I ask turning towards Mikasa.

The last word is barely audible as my voice lowers once I see her face up close. Her eyes are darker than usual with a slightly blank, unfocused look to them. Her skin is white, like her friends and her lips are cracked and dry which is very unusual for her.

She nods once and I realise that she's even more tense than ever. "Yes, let's go."

As I begin to reverse, the girl in the back speaks up. "Who's he?"

"Alexander," she answers, not looking back towards her friend - or whatever this girl is to her. "I hired him to drive us."

"Alex for short," I add, if only to make the lie more believable. "So where are we heading ladies?"

The question is directed towards Mikasa but her face is blank. She looks back towards her friend with a raised brow. "Annie?"

Something stabs at me from the inside and I fight to keep the grunt of shock from escaping. An image flashes in my mind of a large room, filled with grown-ups dressed in suits and fancy gowns. But as soon as it comes it fades and I'm left with what feels like a cold stone in my stomach.

A bead of sweat runs down my temple and I barely hear the location she tells me as I drive away from the juvenile centre. Something about this girl is extremely off, but I can't place my finger on it. The answer is constantly on the tip of my tongue but it never makes it out of my mouth.

 _Annie_.

Why is she so familiar?

She tells me the name of her place and gives me directions to a motel on the outskirts of the next town. Mikasa says a quick goodbye, I say nothing as she leaves my car for good. Mikasa takes a pen out of the side pocket and writes down the name of the motel on her hand discretely as we leave. I still remain quiet.

When we're a good distance away, Mikasa slouches in her seat and sighs. She looks drained all of a sudden, her skin is paler than usual and she shivers again. I wonder if she has the same bad feeling in her gut as I do.

"Hey, how do you-?" The question falls from my lips as I see her peaceful face and hear the soft snores emitting from her. Dark lashes fan out over soft, red cheeks while her mouth is slightly open and head is lolling to the side.

As she shivers again, I notice the rosiness of her cheeks and the shine on her forehead. She shifts slightly and I take my hand off the gear stick to feel her cheek.

She's running a fever.

"Crap," I mutter, driving past our school and towards my own place. Once I pull up into the drive, I move around to her side of the car, undoing her seatbelt and lifting her up. One of my arms hooks under her knees and the other supports her back, while her head rests on my shoulder. She struggles slightly, pushing weakly against my chest but I shush her and surprisingly, she obeys.

Thank whatever divine force out there that Erwin isn't home, I can't imagine the amount of slagging he'd give me as I lay her gently down on the couch. The first thing I do is grab the strongest anti-fever tablets I can find before filling a glass with water and returning to her.

"Hey, wake up, for a second," I say, patting her cheek gently.

She groans but her eyelids flutter open. "Why am I in your house again?"

Well, at least she's not hallucinating. "Because you're running a fever, now take these tablets."

"What about training?" She mutters.

"Forget about it, brat, you can barely stay awake never mind use ODM gear," I tell her, "now come on, take your medicine and be a good patient, I can't have you bailing out on me for the finals."

She tries to lift a hand but she's weaker than I thought. I'm not sure if she caught something or the meeting with Annie took it out of her but I'm glad I didn't let her go alone now. I lower her hand and pop a pill in her lips before raising the glass to her mouth. A bit dribbles down as she manages to swallow and I wipe it away as I give her the next pill.

She's asleep as soon as that part is done.

"Why do you have to be such a pain in the ass?" I mutter in annoyance as I pull the hair back from her clammy forehead.

I'm probably going to have to change her clothes too.

Shit.

Well I certainly can't just leave her in her own ones, they're already damp with sweat and made for winter weather. Besides, she needs to cool down.

At least that's what I keep telling myself as I take off her coat and unbuckle her belt. I try my best not to look as I pull her trousers down, taking off her shoes and socks as I do. The scars on her legs stand out like crows against clouds, some are more faded than others, some seem very fresh.

Is she doing this to herself?

I try not to focus on that as my own mother comes to mind but of course, as I look away my eyes land on the dainty black panties that cover her most private parts.

Goddammit.

I cover her with a thin blanket before making my way to her top half, removing her cardigan. I'm delighted to see she has a thin, strapless vest beneath it, so I don't need to remove it and I can avoid another awkward situation. At least she'll only have one reason to kill me in the morning.

Wetting a cloth, I place it on her forehead and watch as she flinches against the coldness. More shivers come from her and she tries to move away but I hold her steady, telling her it's for the best. It never ceases to surprise me that she actually listens and fades off into a dreamless sleep.

I'm not sure how long I stay up, changing the cloth and making sure she doesn't kick the blankets off of her. I can remember doing her homework and my own after her fever has fully come down. It must be at least two o'clock in the morning before my energy gives out and I fall asleep too, sitting on the floor beside the couch, my head resting beside hers, our breathing matching.

* * *

 _"My god, Levi, look at you, you're becoming so tall, just like your father."_

 _The women coo and caw at me, squeezing my cheeks and laughing every so often when I groan in annoyance. I can see my mother from the corner of my eye, her long dress covering her arms which are still red raw from the 'accident' this morning._

 _In spite of the unpleasant event, this stupid party still went ahead._

 _Now I'm standing in my suit, a book under my arm while all these grown-ups fawn over me as though I'm a toddler. I want to tell them I'm twelve years old and there's no point in squeezing my pudgy cheeks as they won't get any bigger. I want to tell them that there's no god, or else my mother wouldn't be so stressed and hurt by my father the whole time._

 _But most of all, I want to stab them for comparing me to that monster._

 _I resist the urge, for obvious reasons. Too many witnesses, too many eyes, too much evidence. Besides, they're not my target. The man who stands with my mother, holding her hands with false love and smiling sweetly for show, is my target._

 _However not today. Again, I'm not strong enough and my mother will be upset. Even though we would be better off without him, she still insists that she can't live without him because she loves him._

 _If love involves bruises and suffering, then I don't ever want to fall into it._

 _So I excuse myself politely, making up some excuse to go to the bathroom but really, I'm just going to escape for a half an hour while no one will notice my absence. Our guests will be too busy fawning over my parents._

 _I sneak around to the back of a curtain, positioning myself on the window sill and opening my book. I don't even get to read a word though as a girl passes by me, a girl different to all the others in appearance and aura._

 _She has blonde hair, and blue eyes, with an unfortunately shaped nose and a porcelain, cold mask of an expression. Her blue dress swishes out behind her and the knife gleams by her side as she makes her way through the crowd, head held high and eyes determined._

 _She's the same age as I am._

 _"That's Annie Leonhart," a man says beside me. "She's the one who's gonna free your mother from her prison, kid."_

 _That's when chaos explodes and blood splashes the elegant marble floor. Guests scream, glass smashes, furniture is knocked over and amidst it all is the girl._

 _I don't hate her for ruining the party. I don't hate her for destroying the perfectly clean floor. I don't hate her for stabbing my father three times in the chest or for smirking as his lifeless body crashes to the ground._

 _I hate her for not stopping her attack when my mother threw herself in front of the knife to protect my father._

 _I hate myself for not being there to stop my mother._

 _I hate the man who brought the little blonde bitch to that party._

* * *

I jolt awake as a hand squeezes mine. It would be my natural instinct to grab, twist and break the wrist of this person but for some reason, the warmth and gentleness of her touch stops me. I raise my eyes to meet hers and it surprises me that concern is present there.

Is it concern for me? Or for the fact that she's half-naked on my couch?

"Nightmare?" She asks in a whisper.

"Sort of," I answer in the same tone of voice. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she replies.

I stare at her dubiously, noticing her rosy cheeks, tired-looking eyes, and pale skin. Her breathing is slightly uneven still and she's made no move to strangle me for undressing her or carrying her into my house.

"You're a terrible liar when you're sick," I tell her as I get to my feet and move towards the kitchen. "If I make breakfast, do you think you'll be able to eat it?"

She opens her mouth to reply however before she can utter a word, a loud grumble erupts from her stomach and her blush increases tenfold. I raise a brow at her and she closes her mouth, nodding silently.

"I'll help you," she says, getting to her feet and conveniently holding the blanket around her.

"You will not," I respond immediately, pointing the wooden spoon at her. "You're sick, you need to get better so sit."

Her brows draw together. "But-"

I give her a stern look. "No. For once, just listen to me and do as your told."

Reluctantly, she does so and I busy myself making toast and tea for her. Grabbing two plates and two cups, I fill them both before taking a seat on the opposite side of the coffee table. She nibbles on her toast at first before I glare at her and then she begins to take bigger bites.

We eat in silence and I can't help but notice the blanket exposes her left thigh, crumbs dropping onto her uneven skin. The scars are like letters, spelling out a story of her life but I'm not sure if it's one I want to hear or not.

As she sips her tea and I finish my toast, I can't hold it back anymore. "Was it you?"

She pauses in her sipping, lowering the cup slightly and gazing at me with uncertain eyes. "What?"

I nod downwards, towards her leg. "Did you do it to yourself?"

"No," she shakes her head slowly. "No, it wasn't me."

"Ok." I don't push the topic, surprised that she actually gave me a straightforward answer. However she's the one who decides to delve further.

"Did your mom do it?" She asks softly. She turns her head away, looking towards the floor in discomfort at my intense gaze. "You just... talked about her a lot in your sleep."

She really is as perceptive as Hanji warned me she would be. Goddammit, why did I choose to sleep beside her in the living room last night? Why couldn't j have just had a normal dream instead of going back to memories I had nearly forced myself to forget?

"Sometimes she did, sometimes she didn't," I reply after a short silence. "If it wasn't for my father, I doubt she would've started at all. She'd still be alive, anyway."

"I'm sorry," she hangs her head, her black hair covering her face and masking her expression. "I didn't realise she was..."

"Dead?" I finish harshly, causing her to look up at me in shock. A muscle jumps in my jaw and I swallow down any attempts at giving a caring response. "Well, it's not your fault, you didn't kill her."

 _Your little blonde friend did._

"She's not my friend," she says, breaking the tense silence. For a second, I'm sure she's read my mind but then she continues on, not noticing my surprised look. "She's bait. I need her for a while longer, but after that, she's all yours if you want to avenge your mother. I won't stop you."

"Bait for Keenan Mrynack?" I question with a raised brow, watching her reaction tensely.

"Exactly," she says with a nod. "The CEO claimed that he travels alone but he once had a young girl with him however she disappeared off the radar a few years ago."

"Annie Leonhart," I growl lowly. "What is she to him?"

"I don't know for sure and I don't care, the only thing I can tell you is Annie is a witness to his crimes and it's doubtful that he will let her live, that's why she's relying on me to cut him out before he gets to her."

"Then you're just going to hand her over to me?" I ask dubiously.

"If that's what you want," she replies with a shrug.

I still don't fully believe it can be this easy. There's no way, after all these years of wondering what happened to the blonde brat, of dreaming of skinning her scrawny neck, that she will just fall into my pocket - like a pig to slaughter.

"Why?"

"Why what?" She asks.

"Why would you help me like this?" I clarify in a low, serious voice, meeting her blank eyes with my own intense ones.

I hold her gaze, waiting for my answer and then something happens that I never thought possible. Her eyes widen and she swallows nervously, her blush growing as she bites down on her bottom lip and looks away, her hair hiding her features.

She doesn't really know the answer herself.

"You..." Her voice has a strange tone to it and she clears her throat before continuing, "I don't know why you've kept my secret for so long, ever since that night in the Devil's Maiden, but you did and I'm grateful."

"You have a funny way of showing it," I mutter and I receive a whack over the head with the newspaper.

"Be quiet and pay attention because I'm never going to say this ever again," she hisses, her blush growing to an almost adorable state.

 _Almost_.

"You've really helped me with school and friends and without you, I don't think I would ever have had a chance of getting into college. I had just accepted that I wasn't going anywhere after high-school until you came along," her voice becomes lower and lower with each word as she tries to speak. "I guess, I'm just..."

Her eyes clothes and her hands curl into fists as she looks into her lap. Somehow, I think that if she suddenly stripped in front of me it would be less awkward than this, it would probably be easier for her to do as well. Even so, she persists and manages to lift her head high enough to expose her embarrassed features and meet my eyes with her unmasked ones.

"Thank you," she says firmly. "For everything you've done for me."

Scientists can't explain why certain things occur in our bodies when we feel certain emotions. So I can't really explain why my heart is beating so fast, why I'm suddenly warm and sweating or why I can't even blink or break our gaze.

I don't even know what emotion is causing this.

Yet I still manage to conceal a smile and take a bite of my toast as we revert back to our normal selves, as the moment is broken.

"Now that," I begin, sipping my tea calmly, "is a proper sentiment of gratitude."


	15. This Is It

**A/N: sorry about how late this is, Christmas holidays are coming up soon so updates will be more frequent :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Fifteen: This is it.

I can't believe we're here again. I can't believe the four of us are back in this massive arena, gazing up at the crowds who cheer for their favourite team. My heart's beating rapidly in my chest from the adrenaline rushing through my veins. This feeling of euphoria only ever comes once a year and that's when we make it here.

To the finals.

I can tell Jean and Hanji both share the feeling. They're waving up at Eren and the rest of our friends - well, Hanji is. Jean is blowing kisses to cute girls and sneaking peeks at Mikasa to see if she's jealous yet.

It's a lost cause, Mikasa isn't looking at him or the girls who faint by his mere presence. She's gazing up in awe at the bright lights, at the commentators, at the giant obstacle course that we have to clear.

"Hey," she flinches out of her daze as I place a hand on her shoulder. "Don't think about it too much. You'll hesitate."

She looks towards me and her usual determined mask covers her face. "Right," she nods. "I've just never seen anything like this." Her eyes soften slightly. "I can see why you wanted to make it here so badly."

I scoff, trying to hide the fact that she is completely right. "It's not that impressive, brat. Get over it."

She doesn't respond but she does roll her eyes at me. Before I can reprimand her for cheekiness and complete lack of respect, someone speaks up behind us.

"Look who it is, our old pal from last year. Seems you haven't grown an inch over the past twelve months."

My jaw clenches automatically, not because of the comment about my height but because I know that voice all too well. I turn slowly, trying not to curl my hands into fists only to find a tall, muscular man standing beside his even taller, skinnier friend. The first one has blonde hair, a large nose and squinty eyes with his arms crossed over his chest confidently. The other has mousy brown hair and tanned skin with slightly freckled features.

Both their smirks widen as I have to tilt my head upwards just to meet their gazes. "Reiner and Berthold," I greet them passively. "It seems neither of you have grown an inch either, in both aspects."

"Take a look in the mirror, midget," Berthold shoots back, taking a step closer to me and only emphasising the height difference.

I'm considering putting platforms on my Christmas list.

"Hey, it's not his fault he's not big," Reiner sneers, "in both aspects."

I hold back my retort, remaining cool and calm as Jean and Hanji come to stand either side of Mikasa and I. Berthold and Reiner seem to notice the advancement as their eyes move from each one of us until finally landing on Mikasa.

Something in Reiner's eyes light up and I can feel my hairs stand aggressively on end. "I was wondering who was going to replace Erwin for this year's final. To be honest, I didn't think you'd manage to get someone." He takes a step closer to Mikasa and raises an eyebrow. "So what's your name, Princess?"

"Not one you'll ever know," she replies with a glare before turning on her heel, her hair swishing outwards and hitting Reiner across the face.

He flinches in shock, gawking as Mikasa turns to me and gives me a knowing look. "C'mon, we have better things to be doing than exchanging insults with Humpty-Dumpty and the Gingerbread-man."

Once again, she doesn't cease to surprise me with her witty remarks and once again, I never let her know such a fact. So instead of showing it, I just nod, not bothering to throw the two ticked-off boys a second glance as we walk away and towards the end of our journey.

* * *

Mikasa and I stand at the finish line just before the first round of the competition begins. To our right is numerous screens showing different sections of the course. We were told this one was so complex that most can't be visible from the stands. Large screens hang from the ceiling too, so that the audience can keep track of the race.

I'm not sure if I should be nervous or excited. There was nothing like this last year.

"Alright folks, our race will begin in a few short minutes, we just want to run over the rules so that neither the competitors nor you fabulous spectators get confused," the first female announcer speaks through the microphone. "My name is Frieda Reiss and I'll be one of your hosts for this event."

"My name is Flegel Reeves and I'll be co-hosting with Frieda," the second announcer adds, a slight lisp to his voice. "I must say, I'm not surprised to see these two teams back in the final yet again this year. They've been locking horns at this last stage for the last few years now."

"Neither am I however this year is the most important of all considering the scores are completely tied. Ever since Erwin Smith, the ODM racing legend of Wings of Freedom Academy, graduated, their winnings plummeted and Titan Academy's only rose. This year, will be the year the real winner is announced."

"Not only that but this is an important year for every single one of them, you can practically feel the nerves as they search for the scholarship-holders in the audience. One false move can absolutely destroy their dreams for college."

Frieda makes a noise of agreement over the microphone and I steal a quick glance at Mikasa, noticing her gazing into the crowds almost in wonder, her eyes searching. I can see the anxiousness not in her facial features but by the way she's fiddling with the leg of her trousers.

"Hey," I call over to her softly, getting her attention. "They see it as desperate if you seek them out so don't look immediately, keep watching the screen." She nods and I continue. "There's a grey-haired man in a suit in the front row with his own personal viewing screen, he's the one who gave Erwin his scholarship so keep an eye out but don't make it obvious."

"Got it," she replies firmly, crossing her arms over her chest and forcing her eyes on the racing screens. It flickers and focuses on Jean and Hanji's opponents, a tall, skinny girl and a short, stocky boy as her companion.

"That's Ymir and Marcel," I tell her. "Marcel is the weakest link in their team but not by much. His accuracy and stamina is quite good but he tends to avoid complicated manoeuvres. His control and steadiness is why he's such an asset."

"What about the girl?" Mikasa asks, her eyes narrowing. "She looks tough and experienced."

"You're not wrong," I respond, crossing my arms over my chest. "She's known as the 'dancing titan' because of her incredible speed and aggressiveness. I've told Hanji to pin her down and focus most of her energy on her because Jean won't be able to handle her, even Erwin couldn't predict her next move sometimes."

"Most can't predict Hanji's either," she points out, "so maybe this will work to our advantage. Insane people tend to be able to predict the unpredictable."

"Because you've been around so many insane people?" I scoff and she merely shrugs stoically.

"You'd be surprised."

Before I can enquire as to what exactly she means by that, a gunshot resounds through the air and the four teens take off into the air, gas exploding from their gear. Ymir is ahead of them by a good two metres and the distance is only increasing. Hanji looks at Jean meaningfully who nods in response and then Hanji speeds on ahead of him, leaving him alone with Marcel.

I'm keeping one eye on each screen, watching as Jean tries to gain speed and move further ahead of Marcel. He's too focused on time though, too concentrated on velocity and that's not a good thing considering he's coming up to the first obstacle.

Hanji and Ymir have already moved through it, curling around each other and each pillar with great synchronisation as though they had practised it. It's very fluid and fast, even as Ymir arcs above Hanji, kicking outwards at the four-eyed freak as she does so.

Hanji flips under it at the last second, avoiding it completely and laughing like a mad woman at the same time which makes the crowd gasp.

"Ymir's up to her old tricks, trying to take out the energised Hanji and failing," Flegel announces into the microphone as the two girls move onto the next phase. "It will be interesting to see who comes out on top between the two, they've never faced each other directly before."

"Neither have Jean or Marcel but it's clear who's going to come out on top of that one," Frieda says her voice rising as Jean sends a kick towards Marcel who dodges and counterattacks, catching Jean in the shoulder. He shakes and for a moment, I think he's about to regain his balance but then his foot catches one of the obstacles and he begins to fall.

 _Pick yourself up_! I want to yell at him but I merely grit my teeth and hold back, it would be unprofessional to do so. I can tell Mikasa is trying to stop herself too. She takes a step forward, as though she's about to run to his aid but hesitates and clenches her fists.

Somehow, he manages to stay airborne but he's lost ground and right now, things aren't looking good for Hanji. She and Ymir have gone through the moving obstacles, around the second corner, through the dark tunnels and are currently running across the wooden ladders. Neither of them are looking where they're going, their feet guide themselves. Their eyes are glue on one another.

That's when Ymir strikes, kicking Hanji's ladder as she jumps across and causing the shaky structure to collapse to the ground below. The mad scientist barley manages to jump to another one in time but she stumbles slightly as she does so, giving Ymir the chance to launch herself into the air and gain another few yards on her.

"Shit," I mutter under my breath as Ymir turns the next corner sharply, Hanji shooting after her like a bullet.

"She has to stop," Mikasa says suddenly, her hand grabbing my arm reflexively. "She has to go around in a wider arc or else-"

Whatever she's about to say is cut off in a gasp as her eyes widen at the image on the screen. Even I can't fully believe what I'm seeing. One minute Hanji is a metre behind Ymir, the next she's receiving the full force of the other girl's elbow to the neck as the leading one flicks her switch and reverses sharply.

For a moment, she is suspended in the air, her body lax from the shock of the blow while Ymir smirks victoriously and speeds off. Then, she's falling, plummeting to the ground and I can see our chances of ever winning this final plummet with her. The crowd gasps in shock and Mikasa's grip on my arm tightens, so much to the point that it hurts, I have to use my other hand to hold hers to make sure she doesn't snap anything important.

But then, by some miraculous twist of fate, Jean appears around the corner, ducking down and scooping up the falling girl right before she hits the ground. I can feel Mikasa breathe in relief beside me, but I'm still holding my breath. Our ODM gear is not made to support two people and without both hands, it's going to be extremely hard for him to move at all, never mind keeping up his pace.

He slows and begins to pat Hanji on the face, trying to snap her out of her daze. Even when she does regain her senses and continue on, Marcel has already passed them both out and Ymir has crossed the finish line, coming to land beside us.

I have to hold both myself and Mikasa back from attacking her.

"Ymir crosses the finish line effortlessly at twenty-two seconds with Marcel coming in at twenty-eight, giving them a total of fifty seconds," Flegel announces.

"Meanwhile, after Jean's heroic rescue, he and Hanji both cross the finish line at forty seconds, leaving them with a score of eighty seconds. Needless to say, it's not a bad score but it is putting a lot of pressure on the rest of their team to do well, especially when taking Ymir and Marcel's score into account."

"And since they're facing Berthold and Reiner. Those two should not be taken lightly especially when equipped with ODM gear."

Mikasa moves towards Hanji but I lay a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "We need to get down to the starting line now."

She gives Hanji and Jean one last glance before her eyes harden and she mutters something about not holding back. As we make our way down to the start, where Berthold and Reiner are waiting I can hear Frieda and Flegel continuing their conversation.

"Although it can't be denied that Levi is certainly not one to be messed with in the arena either. He's had straight wins in his individual races for a number of years now and his scores always contribute greatly to the team's overall one," Frieda says.

"I certainly wouldn't have the guts to challenge him anyway, I don't have a death wish," Flegel says with a slight cough. "Although, I've heard that his partner is also a force to be reckoned with too. The very first race she entered was this year and she came first with Levi and even performed some of the more complicated manoeuvres."

"I've heard Levi personally trained her," Frieda adds and then her voice moves to a whisper. "And that they're dating!"

"It wouldn't surprise me, I'd date her if I could," Flegel says and I can see Mikasa scowl as Reiner mutters something about a 'good ride' while Berthold blushes at his crude language and looks away.

"We're getting a bit off topic, and we're about to miss the best part," Frieda says excitedly over the microphone. "This year, the whole course has been rejuvenated and to make it fair, it's been equipped with a transform function to make it even harder for the first pairing to complete it."

"Indeed, for this part of the race, the course will constantly be changing. Walls will be moving, missiles will be fired and obstacles will be harder to dodge. Like we said, this year is certainly going to prove a lot."

"Although to accommodate these changes we've added in the golden bell rule and it's simply like a treasure hunt of both luck and deceptiveness. If you find the gold bell, you get a whole ten seconds shaved off your team's end time but you must cross the finish line with it. If you drop it, no shaving."

As she speaks, the screech of metal echoes through the grand hall and just like they promised, the course begins to move. The square walls revolve, shelves and landing points moving with them and exposing a small opening in the darkness, leading to the next part of the course.

I look towards Mikasa who stretches her arms over her head. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Reiner and Berthold cracking their knuckles and secretly eyeing her up but she takes no notice. Her gaze meets mine and I raise a brow at her.

"Are you ready?" I ask in a quiet voice so that only she can hear.

She releases a long sigh before nodding once. "Yeah, are you?"

I nod once and look at her slightly awkwardly. For the first time in a final, right before the race, I don't know what to say. With Hanji, we just used to nod or go over a plan, with Erwin, it was silence, companionable silence but neither seem right to do with Mikasa. What else can I possibly say to her? What should I do?

Her soft touch knocks me out of my daze as my eyes wander to her hand that rests gently on my forearm. I look up at her in surprise and find her usual calm, determined mask covering her features as she holds my gaze.

"This is it, you got us here," she says in a low voice. "I promise, I won't let you down."

She's taken the words right out of my mouth but now, I know exactly what to do. So just as the referee takes his position, I remove her hand from my forearm but I don't let go. Instead I squeeze it gently, never tearing my eyes from hers as I nod once.

"I promise," I tell her firmly, "you're getting a scholarship tonight, no matter what."

Her eyes widen in surprise for a brief second and blood flows to her cheeks, colouring her usually porcelain pale skin. Her eyes are smiling but her mouth isn't and I wonder if one day I will ever be able to make her smile truly and happily.

But that's a concern for another time, now our main concern is beating these Titans, beating this course and beating time itself.


	16. Pandemonium

**A/N: As promised, the next chapter, updated on time for once :) hope you all like it and thanks for both your patience and reviews :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Sixteen: Pandemonium

The hand raises, gun held firmly with an index finger over the trigger. Mikasa and I both crouch down into our ready positions, on our toes and fingertips. My eyes are narrowed into slits, focused only on the gateway that is big enough to allow one person through at a time.

We need to get there first.

An inhale. An exhale. A gunshot. A million cries from the crowd and then... flight.

Mikasa and I are side by side, our smaller weight being the only things that's given us a metre or two on Berthold and Reiner. The wall moves closer to me and Mikasa moves to give me space. She lets out a cry of warning as she dodges a missile and I follow suit, dropping down to escape another flying object.

I get through the opening first, Mikasa following closely behind and for a second, my heart stops. It's one massive black tunnel and the walls consist of millions upon millions of black cubes about the size of my hand. They move around each other, some being shot to the other side as missiles for us to dodge. Lights emit from some of them, but it gives us little long range vision and it doesn't help that all these little squares are moving at the same time, causing the course to transform.

This is pandemonium.

We can't afford to stop though, not with our opponents so close behind us so we power through. In this tunnel, we need eyes everywhere with the missiles, the suspended platforms and the swinging vines of black cubes. It's like a portal from purgatory to hell, we have no clue what's waiting for us round each corner.

I duck under a fast-moving cube and run along a platform, carefully watching my footing while Mikasa diverges to curl around a vine of cubes. I can hear grunts of effort from Berthold and Reiner behind us as they're forced to duck under a moving platform.

"Mikasa, the platforms move!" I yell over to her.

"Got it!" She calls back but her voice is so faint with the distance. I can see her face though as she looks at me and her eyes widen in alarm. "Look out!"

It's then I see the cubes falling into columns in front of me, fast and unstopping. I look up, watching as they descend on me but then there are two hands on my shoulder, pushing me to the right and just out of range of the cubes.

The last thing I see is Mikasa's strained features as she reverses to avoid the cubes herself. There's a crunching sound and a small cry of pain but before I can get to her, the cubes have fallen into place, forming a massive wall between us.

"Mikasa!" I yell but it's useless, the wall has been set firmly in place and there's no moving it. I can feel the solidness of the cubes when I bang my fist against it. I can't remain on the adjacent platform for long; oncoming missiles force me to move.

It's then I realise that I am completely alone. Neither Berthold or Reiner are anywhere in sight. So that means...

Mikasa's on her own with both of them.

My jaw clenches as I imagine her face, usually so stoic but now pressured with two opponents and this course of pandemonium. On top of that, it sounded like those cubes really hurt her, wherever they hit her. She can't be coping well.

I have to get to her.

Gas explodes from my gear as I launch forward, always travelling close to the wall, looking for an opening. There is none though and with each second that passes, my heart deflates further in my chest. This was not a part of our plan.

A flying cube hits my shoulder as I fail to notice it approaching. The corner digs into my skin, extracting a grunt of pain from me upon impact. Goddammit, I really need to concentrate and just put my faith in Mikasa for the moment. That's all I can do.

I turn a corner, coming up to a foot zone. Unlike the ones from the previous course and the ones we have practised on, the platforms are made completely of cubes and move. Not only that but monkey bars connect some of the platforms together. I hope Mikasa's side has it easier.

Without any opponents, I don't have any real problems getting through this section of the course but as I turn the corner that all changes. The first sound that reaches my ears is similar to that of an explosion but without the fire. The wall to my left shakes and then Reiner bursts through it with a yell of pain. He crashes into one of the moving platforms, his speed and force causing him to skid along on his back.

For a second, I'm confused but that vanishes as I see Mikasa leap through the hole, her face twisted with rage. She descends on him like an angel of vengeance but he has enough sense to send a strong kick to her stomach to keep her away.

The strength behind the kick sends her flying backwards where Berhold lies in wait. His fist curves and crashes deep into her side. I can tell by the way her face contorts in pain that she's trying to hold in a cry but it still escapes her lips like glass shattering in an empty room. Her body goes limp and she begins to fall downwards, headfirst.

I descend like a bullet after her, catching her around the waist and zooming back upwards to one of the platforms. I gently set her down, noticing the bruises beginning to form on her skin, all large and dark. Her nose is bleeding, blood colouring her soft lips and staining her clothes.

The missiles and vines couldn't have caused such injuries, not as big as these but I know exactly who could.

I raise my eyes towards Reiner and Berthold who stand on the opposite platform, arms crossed over their chests and cockiness written across their faces. They too, have a few bruises forming and I can see distinctive cuts along their arms, either from the Mikasa's nails or her hidden blade. I'd say the former is more likely, she wouldn't be stupid enough to expose her weapon to the cameras.

"So this is your plan?" I growl, getting to my feet and standing protectively in front of my partner. "Cripple one opponent until they can't function?"

Reiner tosses his arms carelessly out sideways. "There's one rule in ODM racing."

"Do whatever it takes to win," Berthold says, his face stoic and serious.

"We just did what we had to," the shorter teen adds, no mercy or sorrow in his voice. "We're all battling for the same scholarships."

"She deserves it more than either of you bastards," I snarl at them, feeling my heart clench with rage. "She's worked her ass off her weeks juggling jobs and getting her grades up and training to win this. You little shits don't hold a candle to her and it's blatantly clear to everyone in that goddamn audience!"

I know I'm not being professional, I know everyone can hear and see me, including Mikasa who watches in shock from her position on the platform. I know that every scholarship holder who's looking is probably turned off now but suddenly I don't care. I don't give a damn.

"I promised her a scholarship," I continue in a low yet loud voice. I take a deep breath, my face dangerously stoic. "And she's going to get one."

As I exhale I push myself off the platform at speeds I didn't even know I could achieve. Berthold looks shocked as my fist crashes into his face, sending him to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Reiner swings at me and I duck under, kicking him in the stomach. He barely reacts to it and I briefly wonder how in the name of God Mikasa managed to throw him through a wall.

He shoves his knee upwards, aiming for my groin but I move out of the way, avoiding the unpleasant scenario. A series of punches come my way and I do my best to dodge them all. My fist connects with his jaw after I manoeuvre around a particularly strong blow and the hit stuns him briefly.

So I follow up with a series of my own attacks, lashing into him with all I've got and pushing him towards the edge of the platform. A cube hits him, making him stumble backwards and I see my chance. My foot rises, ready to kick him off but something crashes into me from the side, sending me tumbling to the ground.

Berthold stands tall above me as Reiner regains his balance and comes to join him. There's instinct shining in their eyes; the instinct to fight, the instinct to win and I'm suddenly at a loss of what to do. Going for one will leave me open, going for neither will cost me the fight.

"Looks like you'll be sleeping for the rest of this final," Reiner says as he grabs me by the collar. "Say goodnight to your girlfriend."

I glare at him but a shiny black cube that passes by catches my attention. In its reflection, all I can see are a pair of determined grey eyes and I can't help but smirk at him.

"Goodnight."

His confidence turns to confusion, which soon turns to pain as Mikasa's fist collides with his face. He drops me and I floor the gas, hitting Berthold right in the neck. He chokes and staggers and then I feel a hand grab mine.

I don't need to look at my partner to know what she means. Instead, I hold on tight and swing her around with as much force and speed as I can muster. Her foot crashes into Berthold's face, causing him to spit blood and then I let go, rushing to stop the oncoming attack from Reiner.

I dodge his fist and grab his arm, refusing to let go. Mikasa comes in then, kicking him in the ribs and sending him to the floor. As Berthold stands, she drops and swings a leg out, taking his feet from under him and I kick him a safe distance away.

There's a pause in the fight where Mikasa and I remain side by side, breathing heavily yet standing tall. Berthold and Reiner slowly get to their feet but with difficulty. I signal for Mikasa to wait and she nods in response, watching them carefully while I decide on our next plan of action.

We can either sprint ahead while they're recovering and secure a good time or we can fight for longer, wearing them down in the hopes that we come out unscathed and achieve an even better score. Neither option has a hundred percent guaranteed results though. Nothing stays the same in this chaotic course.

Suddenly, Mikasa tenses beside me and as I look towards her, I can see her toe push against a cube. In a flash, she sprints forward and I'm too slow to stop her. I don't know what's come over her, but she heads straight for Berthold, arm stretched forwards and fingers are splayed out wide as if she means to grab him.

As she gets down to his level, he drives a knee into her stomach and drags her down to the platform. Her hand latches onto his shirt pocket, the fabric tearing from her grip. He lets out a cry and she growls and in their brawl, neither notice the edge until they've tumbled over it together.

Her name leaves my lips in a shout but I'm cut off as Reiner tackles me to the ground. He's like an elephant, tough skin and heavy as hell. He knocks the breath out of me and I can hear a large crack as his fist collides with my face. Blood spurts from my nose and my vision goes white from the pain but somehow I manage to drive my knee into his groin before he can get another hit in.

I'm not going to lie, I have extremely bony knees and that one jab is enough to cripple the giant. He curls into a fetal position with a shocked gasp and I take my window of opportunity, flying off after Mikasa.

She is currently locked in an aerial battle with Berthold. They've ripped off metal strips from the monkey bars on one of the platforms and are using them like swords. The clashing of metal against metal rings out through the tunnel along with their yells and grunts of effort.

As I approach, Berthold lashes out horizontally and the bar grazes the tip of her nose as she throws her head backwards to avoid it. She completes the flip, catching his chin with her foot and knocking him upwards.

That's when I descend on him, using Mikasa's signature move from the first match and pushing down on him with my feet. He releases a cry of surprise as he falls towards the ground and I turn towards Mikasa.

"C'mon, no more distractions, let's finish this."

"Right!" She nods in agreement, her eyes hard with determination and gas explodes from her gear.

We round another corner, constantly accelerating and it's then I notice that Mikasa is still holding the bars she collected from earlier. Her knuckles are white from how tight her grip is and she still manages to manoeuvre her ODM gear, her pinkie fingers working the triggers.

"Mikasa we need to slow down, more missiles are coming," I call to her, pointing ahead but surprisingly she shakes her head.

"We need as much time as possible after Hanji and Jean's score, we have to keep up this pace," she argues.

"The faster we go, the less accurate we become, that was the first thing I taught you-!"

"I have a plan," she yells, cutting me off suddenly. "There's no time to explain just trust me and follow directly behind me!"

For a moment, I can only stare at her wondering why the adrenaline is suddenly speeding up in my veins as we hold one another's gaze. Her eyes are hard as grey diamonds, as usual but there's an underlying tone to them, one that's begging me to trust her.

Do I trust her?

"Please, Levi," she says more softly this time. "I made a promise not to let you down, I intend to keep it."

And I promised her a scholarship. If I abandon her now, it will look bad on both of our parts, if I abandon her, I would break whatever teamwork we've established to this point. I know I can't change her mind, she's too damn stubborn - just like me, but this time, I can let it go.

I know I can trust her.

"Alright speed it up, goddamn brat," I yell, moving into position behind her as I hear gas exploding from behind us. "This better work."

"It will," she vows and switches to maximum speed. I follow suit, our bodies in perfect alignment. I can't see anything in front of us, only her. I would have more vision if I was blind to be quite honest. It's not an easy thing for me to do, but I force myself not to stray from the path she's taking out.

Her right arm raises, bar moving into the air and then it swoops down. There's a crunching sound and a million black shards explode in front of her. I cover my eyes and the sound comes again, and then again, and again. When I open my eyes, she lashes out sideways with the bar and it's then I realise what she's doing.

She's stopped dodging the cubes, now she's cutting straight through them.

A growl rips through her throat and she spins in mid air, bars flying around her like silver whips as they slice through a row of cubes, black dust falling around her like onyx stars. Her hair fans outward as she moves and in a split-second of her turn, when she's facing me, it feels like I've been struck by lightning.

Her eyes are on fire with fury, pride, stubbornness and pure adrenaline. They shine so brightly, like flames in the night and her dark brows slant downwards in concentration. She moves so fluidly with such aggression yet elegance, but that's not what amazes me.

It's the way she tries so hard, the way she gives it her all. That's what's amazing. Every technique we've practised, every tip I've given her on her posture, every exercise we've done to enhance her muscles... she's using them all right here, right now.

She's like the warriors from the legend I once told her about, the ones who took a stand and fought until their very last breath. The ones who were brave and daring. The ones who weren't afraid to fall.

She is absolutely breathtaking.

As soon as she throws her silver weapons aside, I know that we're close, if I look down, I can see solid ground near our feet. At this speed, landing is dangerous and so, I grab her wrist and pull her back towards me.

A small cry of surprise escapes her as I wrap my arms around her and hold on tight. Her palms are crushed against my chest, her head tucked under my chin as we crash through the finish line.

The first thing I register is how warm she is against me, then the rough hard ground tearing into my back as we skid along. It feels like my skin is on fire and I can feel my uniform rip from the force. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out the burning sensation. Hanji and Jean are screaming our names, the crowd is yelling and Flegel is commenting loudly but I can't really register any of it. It's only when we stop and I roll over onto my side that the pain subsides slightly.

When I open my eyes, blinking slowly, all I see is the top of Mikasa's head. Her hair tickles my nose and almost hesitantly, she looks up towards me. The adrenaline has run its course and it has faded from her eyes, leaving them a soft, uncertain silver.

"Are you alright?" Is the first thing she says to me and if it had been any other person, I would've clearly stated that no, I am not alright, that my back has probably just been ripped to shreds along with my shirt.

Instead, I release a small breath through my nose and give her a careless look. "I've had worse."

"Your nose is broken," she states quietly.

Now that she says it, I'm suddenly aware of the pain there too. "Courtesy of Reiner."

"Hold still." Her hands move up and fingers gently prod the tender area. I hold back a grimace as she applies pressure and jerks. There's a crack and a sudden blinding pain before I feel slight relief. "You wouldn't believe how many times I've had to do that."

"At this stage, I would," I reply dryly. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine but... Why did you...?" She trails off, not really knowing how to phrase her question but I know what she means.

"Your plan was a success, you made a good judgement, it's only fair that I take care of the landing," I reply, shrugging my shoulder and wincing as I do so.

"Thank you," she whispers softly, breaking the eye contact and looking down.

I swear, her cheeks weren't that rosy a second ago and just as I'm about to get a good tease in, Flegel's voice booms over the speakers once more. "Reiner and Berthold have just crossed the finish line at two-hundred and forty-five seconds each! That gives the first pairing a combined score of four-hundred and ninety..."

Mikasa looks at me in worry, mirroring how I feel on the inside. "What was our time?"

It's then that I release her slowly and she helps me to stand. I can see her eyes widen as she catches a glimpse of my back so I'm taking it must be more cut up than I thought. That can wait though, the final result can't.

"Hanji!" I yell at her, "what was our time?"

"Two-hundred and thirty seconds each," she says, coming to stand beside us.

"So our total was four-hundred and sixty," Mikasa mutters.

But if that's the case, then...

"Unbelievable folks! For the first time in history, we have an absolute tie between our finalists!" Frieda exclaims over the microphone. "Exactly five-hundred and forty seconds each, this is incredible!"

"A tie?" Jean repeats in disbelief, looking towards us.

"I'm afraid not," Berthold says, approaching us with Reiner, Ymir and Marcel. "Unfortunately for you, I managed to find the gold bell."

The referee, who generally monitors the cameras and announces the winner, comes over to inspect. Berthold reaches into the pocket of his shirt and I can feel my heart deflate in my chest. That is until his fingers slip through the side of it, only to find the stitches have been completely torn.

"Do you mean this gold bell?"

Mikasa raises a hand and from it, dangles a small golden bell held on a red ribbon in front of everyone. No one, not even I can contain my surprise this time and Berthold pales considerably. The referee takes it from her, inspecting its authenticity and then it all beings to make sense in my mind.

That's why she disobeyed and launched herself at Berthold during the race, that's why she ripped his shirt, she saw the bell-

"It's authentic! Wings of Freedom Academy are victorious!" The referee announces, waving the flag with our school symbol on it.

This moment, I can honestly say is the happiest of my life. As soon as the words leave his mouth, the crowd roars in applause and confetti rains down around us. Our schoolmates all run into the pitch, crowding around us and engulfing us in a huddle.

Through all the congratulations and cheers, through all the claps on the shoulder and flattering compliments, I see Sasha hugging Mikasa with tears in her eyes and food in her hand. As they pull away, Mikasa's eyes meet mine and then, once again, she catches me by surprise.

She genuinely smiles at me, her head cocking to the side and eyes warm like embers.

I can't help but give her the tiniest one in return.

* * *

I don't ever remember the after-parties being this formal. Everyone mills around in suits and dresses, drinking champagne and chatting about the events of the day or the history of ODM racing. I've been talking to a few college representatives, all offering scholarships but I haven't got an offer from the college I really wanted yet. They tell me to think on it and give them a call. At this stage, my pocket is full of numbers and not from girls.

Jean is in the opposite position, he's surrounded by girls all fluttering around him like butterflies. They compliment every aspect of him, pushing and shoving against one another to get near. Some tried the same win me but one glare sent them running back to Jean, throwing their numbers at him, although he still hasn't gotten the number of the girl he really wants.

Speaking of which, I haven't seen Mikasa in quite a while.

She's easy to spot in this grand hall, she sticks out like a sore thumb in her black jeans and white blouse. The rest of the women are in fancy dresses and the men in suits so naturally, I'm a lot more noticeable in my casual everyday clothes too. Hanji was the only one prepared and she failed to notify us. She prances around in a bright green dresses, her hair flowing down her back as she tries to steal people's champagne with a straw when they're not looking.

I make my way towards the doors leading to the outside, if only for a breath of fresh air and to escape the looks of curiosity people are sneaking me. The cold air hits me like a fresh wave of sea water and I inhale deeply, gently stretching my back.

Before this, Mikasa and I spent just over two hours in the medical bay, getting our injuries checked out. Beneath my shirt, my torso and shoulders are bandaged and covered in soothing and disinfecting ointment . It stings when I stretch too much but I can live with it.

Mikasa had a lot of internal bruising and a slight swelling in her right arm. When the wall of cubes came down at the start, it dislodged her elbow and the doctors were amazed she managed to relocate it by herself while racing. She was given an ice pack to reduce the swelling and a few bandages for the bigger cuts before being sent on her way.

In the end, she waited outside for me and we came here together.

"You don't need to make a decision right away," a deep voice comes from the balcony directly above me. "I can tell you need time to think it over, so please, enjoy the rest of your evening and give me a call. I will warn you though, I won't wait for long."

"Tell me one thing, before you go," Mikasa's voice suddenly reaches my ears and I look upwards in surprise. "Why is there only one scholarship available for this college?"

"What could you possibly need two for?" The man enquires.

"Not for me, for other members of my team," she replies patiently.

"We want only the best in our college and you showed the most potential out of your teammates today. Normally, we wouldn't accept someone with your background however I have decided to make an exception just this once due to your incredible skill and endurance, not to mention the sudden increase in you grades recently."

"As much as I appreciate the compliments and offer," she begins slowly. "I'm going to have to decline because despite what you may have seen today, I'm not the best on my team. If you want the best, offer Levi the scholarship. He's the one who trained me and tutored me for the last few weeks. Without him, I probably would've been expelled by now for my poor grades and I certainly wouldn't be here talking to you."

My breath hitches in my throat and I resist the urge to yell at her to stop destroying her future with her careless words. After all the months of working and training, she's deciding to say she isn't worth a scholarship? Why?

"If I were you," she continues in a monotone, "I'd be looking for not just the best but for someone who can motivate others on your team and make them work for their goals. When I came to Wings of Freedom Academy, I didn't think I'd have the slightest chance of going to college, it was always something that was out of my reach. You've seen my more exclusive files, you know why. However when Levi recruited me, he made me believe that I could achieve more and I have."

"I really would love to say yes to your offer, but I can't. It's not me you want, it's Levi. He deserves it more than I do," she finishes softly. "Reiss University would be lucky to have someone like him."

Reiss University... The same academy Erwin attended, the same one I want to go to, the one that only offers one scholarship for ODM racing per year. Why is she turning it down? What is she doing?!

"You do realise that an offer like this won't come around again," the man says seriously after a long pause. "I can't think of a college that will give a scholarship to someone with a reputation like yours."

"I know," she says, her monotone cracking slightly as the words come out.

"I admire your loyalty, Ms Ackerman," he says softly, "and I'm sorry your past is hindering you now."

"So am I," she replies stoically.

A silence and the breeze suddenly seems so much colder against my skin. There comes the sound of footsteps retreating from above along with the clearing of a throat and then Mikasa speaks up once again.

"One last thing, Sir..."

"Yes?"

"Don't mention this conversation to Levi," she says firmly, not as a question but more as an order. It makes my stomach clench, just by the way she's talking so forwardly with him. "He'll kill me for doing this."

He doesn't say anything for a few minutes. I'm sure he has just ignored her rudeness and walked off but then I hear a shuffle from further away and his deep voice returns.

"Of course, I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours, Ms. Ackerman."

His footsteps fade away into the busy dining hall and I don't even bother to remain quite anymore. I rush back inside, pushing and shoving past people to get to the stairs leading to the second floor. I take the steps two at a time (I would take them three at a time only my legs aren't long enough) and grasp the railing to twist myself around the corner at the top.

I'm not sure why I'm running, in reality, no matter how quick I get to him it won't matter. Mikasa's made her decision, and Reiss' representative has accepted it. There's not much I can do but I'm hoping...

"Levi Ackerman, just the man I was looking for," he calls to me in a pleasant manner. He stretches out a hand and I take it, shaking it firmly. "I have one scholarship for Reiss University with your name on it-"

"So I heard," I cut him off, not in a rude way but more out of impatience. "I came to tell you that I will accept your scholarship..."

Movement behind him catches my eye and I can see Mikasa, poking out from behind the open doorway to the balcony. Her eyes are wide with surprise but as I speak, they soften with relief. She nods once towards me as I pause in my sentence, encouraging me silently.

I turn my gaze back to him, meeting his eyes firmly with my own. "I will accept your scholarship on the condition that Mikasa receives one too. You told her you wanted the best, but I'm not the best without her. We're a team, _we_ are the best and we'll go together or not at all."

I don't break his gaze, even though I desperately want to see what expression is painted on Mikasa's features. He stares me down, his lips forming a thin line and I narrow my eyes ever so slightly, showing him I mean nothing but business.

Then he sighs and looks down, scratching the back of his neck. "You drive a hard bargain, Levi Ackerman. I see Erwin taught you well."

"He learned from the best," I reply, which causes him to release a soft snort of mirth.

Then he hands me a sheet of paper with a number scrawled across it had gives me a kind smile. "I can't promise you anything just yet, except the fact that we will be in touch."

He moves forward, about to brush past me but as he reaches my side, he stops and places a hand on my shoulder. With a firm squeeze, he pulls me slightly closer so that I can just about hear his last piece of advice.

"You're lucky to have her that same way she's lucky to have you, boy. Don't let her go without a fight."


	17. The Lakehouse

**A/N: Next chapter is here, hope you all like it! Thanks again for all the reviews, I really appreciate it :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan**.

Chapter Seventeen: The Lakehouse

It's eleven o'clock in the morning, two days later when my phone rings. My heart skips a beat in my chest as I scramble to get the damned thing out of my pocket, preparing what I'll say to the college representative.

It's only Mikasa though.

I release a sigh and answer. "What?"

"I need your help," she says in a very quiet, timid voice.

"What's wrong?" I ask immediately, no longer annoyed that she's calling me in the middle of my jog.

"Where are you right now?"

"Out jogging, why?"

"How quickly can you get to Miranda's?"

"In the mall? About five minutes," I reply before my patience begins to wear thin. "Mikasa, what happened?"

There's a small embarrassed groan on the end of the phone and I can already tell her cheeks are beat red. "Just come get me quickly, please."

Before I can question her more, she hangs up. I flip the phone shut, cursing slightly under my breath and turn back in the direction I came from. She's damn-well lucky I decided to jog through the park today.

When I get to Miranda's, breathless and sweating, there's no one in the store. Manikins dressed in all types of swimsuits and bikinis line the shelves and a woman sits behind the counter, playing a game on her phone out of boredom.

"Mikasa?" I yell quietly, venturing further into the store. "Mikasa?!"

"Over here!" Comes a soft, slightly shaky voice.

I follow the sound into the corner right beside the single dressing room but there's no one there. My eyes scan the area for raven hair and grey eyes but I find neither. Another curse leaves my lips as I place a hand on my hip out of frustration. What the hell is she playing at?

Suddenly a hand latches onto my shoulder and pulls me backwards into the dressing room. I stumble to regain my balance, falling against the wall and when I raise my eyes, I find the last thing I'm expecting.

Of course, it's Mikasa, only... just a little more exposed than I usually see her. She stands in a black bikini which shows off her toned abs and the scars that decorate her snow pale skin. On her forearm, remains the Oriental bracelet containing the concealed weapon, that's the only other thing that she has though.

I realise I'm staring and I look away only to find myself staring at the mirror which shows an even better view of her curves. I can hear her emit a small squeak and when I look back, she's gazing at the ground, her cheeks on fire.

"You called me for my opinion on your swim wear?" I deadpan, deciding to keep my eyes firmly on her face.

"No!" She answers quickly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hanji dragged me here and forced me to try this on but when I said I didn't want to buy it, she stole my clothes and ran."

It's extremely hard to keep a straight face as I take out my own phone. "I'll call her now."

"She's not answering, I've tried," she says and her glare sharpens. "Sixteen times."

"How long have you been her for?" I ask, but as both her blush and eyes darken, I realise it's the wrong question to ask. "Never mind, did she say where she went?"

She shakes her head and I sigh once again. "Why don't you just buy the damn thing then? It looks good on you."

As her head snaps towards me I realise what I've just said. I swear to god, she's going to burst a blood vessel with all her goddamn blushing and I'm forced to look towards the ceiling so my eyes don't wander.

"I can't wear this outside though," she argues.

"Believe me, no man is going to argue with you wearing that around," I rely without thinking and she moves to punch me. My reflexes kick in and I catch her wrist before the blow lands. "Alright, wait here and I'll buy something for you to wear home."

"No!" She grabs my shirt, halting my exit.

"Make up your mind! Do you want to run around half-naked or not?"

"This was on sale, I don't have the money for anything else and I'm not borrowing money, I don't know when I'll be able to pay you back."

My gaze softens slightly and I take her hand gently, making her release me. "It's fine, now wait here."

For once, she does as she's told and I run our and pick up a pair of black jogging pants and a t-shirt, both of which were also on sale. I give the money to the woman at the counter before dashing to the changing room and throwing them in.

"They're paid for so put them on quickly and let's go," I tell her, moving away from the curtain. A thought strikes me and I move back, poking my head around just as she is about to undo the top. "Bring the bikini, I bought that too."

She mutters a rather begrudging thank you before pushing me outside.

"I just got a text from Hanji, she says she's waiting for us outside the mall," Mikasa says in my ear.

I shiver as her breath tickles my neck and hoist her higher up on my back, muttering another small string of curses which causes her to snort in slight mirth.

"That moron. What does she want?"

"Probably to talk about this whole victory vacation thing she's planning," she murmurs in reply, tucking her phone back into the zip pocket of her new pants and wrapping her arms back around my neck. "You know, you can put me down, I don't mind walking in my bare feet."

"Well I do, the floor's filthy, you'll get verrucas and I'll have to bring you to the doctors to get them removed," I snap, "once we get your shoes back I'll wring that idiot's neck."

"I'll hold her down," she mutters in agreement.

"So what's this victory vacation, dare I ask?"

"Apparently, Hanji's parents own a fancy lodge up in the mountains and they're letting her use it over the midterm before the weather gets really cold. She offered to bring everyone up there to celebrate."

"When did she tell you this?" I demand, this all being news to me.

"Right before she ran off with my clothes."

"Did she mention a lake?"

"Yeah, and hot springs too."

"That explains why she wanted you to buy a bikini," I tell her.

"I thought it was just one of her experiments," Mikasa admits, leaning her chin on my shoulder and releasing a sigh. "Are we there yet?"

"Do we look like we're there yet?" I snap at her.

She grumbles something about grumpy shorties and I'm on the verge of dropping her, verrucas be damned but then, Hanji appears around the corner jumping up and down in excitement.

"C'mon you two lovebirds! The bus is leaving!" She yells. "We want to get through the woods before it gets dark, you know!"

"What is she rambling about?" I growl.

"I don't know but there's my shoes!" Mikasa cries, straightening up on my back and pointing towards the mad scientist. "We have to catch her!"

"We?" I repeat in a slightly bitter tone.

She doesn't pick up on it. "Yes, now run!"

* * *

A few minutes later, as Mikasa fits her runners on her feet and releases a relieved sigh, the bus rushes out of the city and towards the nearby countryside. The raven-haired girl beside me is a lot calmer than I thought she would be, considering we have technically been abducted.

"You couldn't have given us more warning?" I turn back around to the seats behind us, glaring at the four-eyed freak.

"That would take the fun out of it," she tsks as if the fact should be obvious. "This trip is all about spontaneity, Levi!"

"Yeah, you guys did the most work in that race," Jean pipes up from the seats in front of us. "You deserve a break away."

Mikasa raises an eyebrow at him. "A break away meaning a week in the woods with no clothes, toiletries or technology?"

I'm glad she's on my side on this one.

"Don't be silly," Hanji chides, "I packed Mika's bag and I convinced Erwin to pack yours."

"No you didn't, Erwin knows better than to touch my stuff," I call her bluff immediately.

"You're right, I packed your bag too win Eren's help," she admits, "although Erwin did let me in."

"How did you get into my apartment?" Mikasa demands.

"Your keys were in your pocket." She holds the silver objects on a ring up in front of her and Mikasa snatches them angrily.

"What about my job?"

"I asked a friend of mine to cover for you," Hanji replies. "And by the way, you've got the chickenpox so I wouldn't post any pictures of this vacation on Facebook if I were you."

She winks and Mikasa rolls her eyes, slumping back into her seat. I follow suit and crack my neck in discomfort. I've heard of Hanji's lake house before and I know for a fact that this is going to be a long journey, especially by bus.

So I lean back into my seat and try to block out Hanji's excited chatter with Eren and Armin telling Sasha a great many facts about the lakes of our country. Jean sneaks glances at Mikasa, thinking she doesn't notice but I can tell she does by the way her jaw clenches minutely.

About an hour into the journey, my eyelids begin to droop and sleep captures me in its intoxicating grasp. I can't remember most of the content of my dreams, only brief flashes of grey eyes and steel. When I wake up as the bus rolls to a stop, it's dark outside and Hanji is leading the others into the cabin. Mikasa's head rests on my shoulder, eyelashes fanning outwards over her cheekbones as she snores softly.

It's strange how her head fits so perfectly between my shoulder and neck.

* * *

"And this is your room!" Hanji says, opening a door and leading Mikasa and I into a large room with a wooden floor and beige walls. Two single beds lie on opposite sides of the room, accompanied by a set of drawers and a small rug lies in the centre of the room. The duvets are both black with two pillows on each bed and a giant window, stretching from floor to ceiling, exposes an incredible view of the forest and lake. It's all so perfect, except-

"Why do we have to share a room?" Mikasa questions the four-eyed freak in front of us.

My thoughts exactly.

"Well you don't have to," Hanji admits with a shrug, but there's a malicious little gleam in the lenses of her glasses. "You could also share with Jean and Levi could share with me, or even better I could share with you-"

"Never mind," Mikasa cuts her off immediately. "I'll share with Levi."

"I thought so," Hanji smirks. "Well, get your things sorted and meet us out front, we're going to start a campfire soon."

With that, she skips out of the room and closes the door behind her. We can hear her happy humming for another few seconds before it fades down the corridor. In the first few seconds, I'm pretty sure it will be awkward between us but Mikasa just begins unpacking her bag and I do the same. The atmosphere is comfortable and quiet, that is until, I get the first glimpse inside my bag.

What the hell?

A black bra laced with roses and gems stares back up at me while what I can only describe as a lacy black string for underwear accompanies them. A cream and black intricate corset with matching furry handcuffs covers the essentials that we actually need for this trip such as towels, shorts and toiletries.

There's a tap on my shoulder and I turn around to find Mikasa behind me, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she holds out a bag. "I think Hanji mixed up our bags..."

She trails off as her eyes land on the lacy bra in my hands and then they dart towards me in shock. The blush becomes twice as predominant and I feel blood rush to my face too. "That's not mine," she says, her eyes going to the other devices of pleasure in the bag. "Neither are those."

"Well they're not mine," I reply immediately.

She snorts and the blush fades slightly. "I assume the condoms and the lube aren't yours either?" She asks, producing a packet of each and smirking teasingly before tossing my bag to me. "Nice batman boxers by the way."

I ignore the comment and toss her the other bag, raising a dubious eyebrow. "Nice Hello Kitty knickers, did you get them at the Disney Store?"

She rolls her eyes and tsks at me. "Everyone knows Hello Kitty isn't part of the Disney franchise, Mr. Marvel."

"It's DC, you brat."

* * *

Giving Hanji matches was a bad idea from the beginning. For one thing, they're not explosive enough for her so she gets frustrated and doesn't pay attention thus accidentally lighting parts of her (or others') clothes on fire. Secondly, because they're not explosive enough, she seeks out more explosive things.

Such as the blow torch she is now using to light the campfire.

Mikasa and I maintain our distance, making marshmallow and biscuit sandwiches in the kitchen while Armin adds straw to the burning pit, trying to keep it alight. Sasha and Jean are drooling in the corner as they watch us, for different reasons. Sasha's one is obvious, Jean's one is equally as obvious to everyone except Mikasa, of course.

"Sasha," Mikasa calls as she flings a sandwich to the hungry girl. "Catch."

She scurries forward, diving for the food and catching it successfully in her mouth like a happy dog. That's when Jean rushes forward, his eyes bright with excitement.

"Feed me too, Mika-"

I shove one into his mouth before he can finish. "Don't choke," I say, giving him a disdainful look before carrying the tray out with Mikasa following behind me. She doesn't even give him a second glance as he begins coughing with food in his mouth.

I almost feel bad for him - _almost_.

Minutes later, we're sitting around the campfire all together. Thankfully, no one has suggested we sing songs yet. When that time comes, I'm going to bed. For the moment, we simply chat among ourselves as we melt the marshmallows in our sandwiches. Hanji sits beside me, poking me in the side when she thinks I'm not looking and Mikasa is on my other side, chatting with Eren. Sasha, Jean, Armin and Connie all sit on the opposite side having their own little conversations.

"It's so good to have you back with us, Mikasa," Eren says suddenly. "I never thought that we'd get a chance to talk like this again."

Armin, seeming to have overheard like me, turns towards them. "Yeah, it all feels so surreal. It's a pity you only came back during our last year, now we'll all be heading off to different colleges."

"I know," Mikasa murmurs, her eyes lost in the light of the fire.

"You're not going to disappear off the radar again, right?" Eren asks, leaning forwards and grabbing both of her hands. "We'll keep in contact, won't we?"

For a moment, Mikasa doesn't know what to say, I can see her shoulders tense up from his sudden intimate touch and her bottom lip drops in surprise. "O-of course we will. Why wouldn't we?"

"Well, it's just, you said that last time too," Eren says and everyone seems to become silent around the campfire.

"We were just kids back then," she defends, beginning to hide beneath her scarf. "I didn't realise I would be moving so far away."

"We're not blaming you Mikasa," Armin amends quickly and Eren is quick to agree.

"Of course not, in fact, we should all have a reunion! My parents are always asking about you and Armin and I haven't seen Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman in so long. We could all have dinner and..."

As Eren trails off on this long speech about how much they'll be able to do, just their three families together again. Everyone else has reverted to their original topics, Hanji continues to talk to me about a new experiment of hers involving rats and popcorn but I'm not listening.

The only thing that has my attention are the tears beginning to form in Mikasa's eyes.

Eren is oblivious, he continues to talk, staring into the campfire and smiling. He means well, it's not his fault he's so ignorant, but it is his fault that he's making Mikasa cry and when he realises it, he will want to know why.

What will she tell him then? What can she tell him?

"Aren't we supposed to sing songs at this sort of thing?" I ask, raising my voice so everyone can hear me.

For a second, everyone is stunned into silence, even Eren, as they stare at me. I keep a straight face even as Mikasa whips her head towards me, blinking in surprise and causing the tears to fall. Thankfully, no one can see as they disappear beneath her scarf, they're all too busy gazing at me in shock.

Hanji is the one to break the silence, leaping to her feet and screaming with joy. "I knew you would lighten up one of these days, my dear Ackerman!" She yells before breaking out into song.

I can briefly see Mikasa wipe her cheeks as everyone else joins in, including me. I know now that I will not be able to avoid this tonight, that I will not be able to escape to my room no matter how much I would like to.

It's worth it this time though.


	18. By Moonlight

**A/N: I honestly couldn't wait to publish this one, I hope you guys like it, thanks again for all the supportive reviews :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan**

Chapter Eighteen: By Moonlight

Our week is filled with relaxing by the lake, playing volleyball, drinking in front of the campfire, playing stupid games of truth and dare (in which Mikasa repeatedly dodges kisses from both Jean and Hanji), long hikes and finally, on our second last night, we're going to the hot springs.

Throughout the whole week, I haven't heard a word from Reiss University. I can't say I'm not anxious, I think Mikasa is too. When my phone so much as beeps she stops what she's doing and waits patiently only for me to tell her it's a false alarm.

She tries hard to hide the disappointment but I can still see it in her eyes.

"Alright, are we all ready to go?" Hanji asks, holding her float shaped like a giant rubber duck.

Armin pokes it skeptically. "You're not bringing that, are you?"

"Of course I am," she says as we all fill into the hall. "The hot springs are actually quite deep, but that's what makes it so enjoyable, you just get to relax, floating around on your back, emerged in heat..."

She continues to drool and murmur about these magical hot springs as we begin to move out the door with Eren and Sasha bouncing excitedly in the lead. I follow suit, walking just behind Connie. As I'm about to step out the door, I hear Jean turn around behind me.

"You're not coming, Mikasa?" He asks.

At this, I turn around, watching as the girl stands in the hallway and shakes her head. "No, I'm pretty tired, I think I'm just going to hit the sack for tonight."

"But you're already dressed for the springs," Jean remarks.

She looks down at her clothes and it's true. She's wearing a tight black tank top with grey shorts over her swimwear. Jean's not always that observant but when it comes to Mikasa he has the eyes of a hawk. It's kind of annoying.

"I know, I just don't feel like going, I just want to sleep," she replies, not meeting his gaze.

"Do you feel ill? Do you want me to stay with you?" He pesters and I feel like hitting him over the head to make him stop.

"No, it's fine, thank you," she replies, slightly forcefully this time. "You go have fun, I'll see you when you get back."

With that, she disappears around the corner, into our room and we hear the door shut a second later. There are no other sounds of movement and I debate on whether or not I should go in and check on her.

However, I decide against it and shoo Jean out the door impatiently. When Mikasa wants to be alone, she means it. Nothing any of us can do is going to change her mood or her mind.

As Jean and I catch up with the others, Eren turns towards me in confusion. "Where's Mikasa?"

"Not coming," I answer vaguely. "She's sleeping."

"Is she tired?" Sasha asks and I shoot her a dead look.

"That's generally the reason why people decide to sleep."

She pouts at me as if it's my fault she doesn't want to come before shrugging it off and moving forwards happily with Eren. Jean keeps looking back the way we came, as if expecting Mikasa to come running up the track calling his name like they do in some cringe-worthy chick-flick movie. Needless to say, she never does and when we're halfway to the springs, he decides to say what's on his mind.

"Hey Levi?" He begins and I grunt, signalling him to continue. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

"Another one then?"

"Fine."

There's a slight pause before he speaks. "What's the deal with you and Mikasa?"

His voice is low as if he's embarrassed to ask such a question and for a second I think I've heard him incorrectly. It's not the first time I've been asked a question like this, I've been asked many times except it's been about Hanji and Sasha, never Mikasa. My usual response would be 'there's no deal' or 'go for it at your own risk' but I can't bring myself to say either now.

Why though? Why can't I say that there's nothing? All we had was a deal. I tutor her, she plays on the team, we both get scholarships. What more is there to it? It's not like Jean has any chance with her anyway.

I pause in my step suddenly, a wrenching feeling tearing through my stomach. Am I... worried? I can't be, Mikasa does everything to avoid Jean, he could never get with her. I probably just don't feel well after waiting for the call from college for so long.

"It's none of your damn business," I reply in a low tone.

He's stunned, I can tell by the way his eyes widen and his mouth opens and closes like a fish. "R-right," he begins, looking to the ground and muttering an apology.

Silence descends on us and Jean focuses his gaze on the path to the hot springs, his cheeks red from embarrassment. He looks back towards me briefly before looking away but then his stare returns to me once more.

His confused look begins to annoy me and just as I'm about to speak, he gets there first. "Hey, where's your towel?"

I follow his gaze to my empty arms before I realise he has a bright green towel tucked under his own arm. For a second, I think I dropped it on the way but then I realise it's still on my bed in the lake house.

"Crap, I left it back in my room," I mutter, "tell the others I'll catch up with them later."

I don't wait for him to respond, instead I turn on my heel and begin jogging done the hill, back to the lake house.

* * *

As I near the lodge, around ten minutes later, I can hear soft grunts of effort along with the sound of metal slicing through air. Rounding the corner of the house, towards the source of the sounds I'm greeted with the last sight I expected.

Mikasa stands in nothing but grey shorts and her black bikini top in front of the lake. Her fists are raised out in front of her and she takes three consecutive punches at the air before twirling with a high kick. Her right arm stretches out and the symbols on the leather strap seem to glitter in the bright moonlight. The blade slides out, slicing through the air and dancing with its master.

She's so concentrated on her own actions, perfecting every punch, very kick, every slice, every step, that she doesn't even register me watching her intently. It's only when I step forward, out of the shadows does she tense and turn towards me, ready to pounce.

Strangely enough when she notices it's me, she relaxes. Her shoulders slacken and her hands lower, blade sliding back into the bracelet.

"You look really tired," I comment as I walk towards her.

She gives me a small glare, not appreciating the sarcasm but it lacks hatred. "I didn't expect anyone to return until a few hours later," she mutters, flicking a strand of hair out of her face. "Why did you come back?"

"Forgot my towel," I answer. "So what was your real reason for staying behind? Can't stick Jean's constant flirting?"

She snorts out of mirth before shaking her head. "No, I just..." She looks away, her bangs hiding her features. "I don't like deep hot springs."

I take a step closer to her. "Why?"

"Because..." She looks to the side now and I can see a slight rosiness in her cheeks, "I don't like deep water."

Doesn't like deep hot springs, doesn't like deep water... I get it now.

"You can't swim."

She doesn't deny it, instead her head snaps upwards and she glares with all her might at me. It doesn't have as great an effect as it usually does though, considering her cheeks are now completely flushed.

"If you tell anyone, I swear-"

"I'm not going to tell anyone," I cut her off shortly as I move over to her and take her forearm in my hand, tapping in the bracelet. "Take it off."

"Why?" She asks.

"I don't want you to accidentally stab me while I teach you how to swim," I reply. "So how does it come off?"

"Here," she points towards the buckles on the underside and moves to undo them but let's face it, she only has one hand, I've got two. I push hers away and take it off in less than a second, placing it down on one of the chairs.

As I remove my t-shirt, throwing it on top of her bracelet on the chair I can see her eyes roam up and down, widening slightly as they reach my mid-section. I raise a brow skeptically at her. "What is it?"

She snaps out of her daze, and takes a step away, her eyes focused on the ground. "I-I don't need to learn how to swim, it's alright, we can just go inside."

"Don't be ridiculous, brat. Swimming is an essential skill, what happens if you fall into the pool at school by accident?"

"The life guard does his job and saves me," she replies firmly, crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly.

"He has abandoned his post to go get off with some girl around the corner, now what do you do?"

"Hanji will save me, she's my stalker," she states firmly, as if that's a legitimate reason.

"Hanji can't swim either, why do you think she's been using a float his whole vacation?"

"Then you'll save me, you always do."

As soon as the words leave her lips, she wishes she could swallow them back in. I can tell by the way she visibly stiffens and lowers her eyes to the ground, dreading my response. It's not that she's told a lie and feels guilty for it - not that she'd ever feel guilty for lying in the first place - it's the fact that she's told too much of the truth.

"What if I'm not around?" I ask and I know I have her now by the way she bites down on her lip in defeat and looks away with a sigh. "C'mon, you're a fast learner, you'll get it in no time and you can go back to your training."

She's lost this battle and so she relents with a small nod, following me into the water. It's not warm in the slightest, goosebumps rise all over my skin and I can hear Mikasa draw in a shaky breath behind me as she shivers and hugs herself for warmth.

"You'll warm up when you start moving," I tell her before turning around and holding out my hands. We're about chest deep in the water at this stage and she merely looks at my outstretched hands dubiously, causing me to roll my eyes. "You need to learn how to stay afloat so you don't sink to the bottom and drown so take my hands and start kicking your feet. Once you get that, we'll try you out on your own."

It kind of surprises me that she takes my hands without another thought and begins to kick her legs, straining to keep her head above water. I hold her up as best as I can until she gets the feeling of security that she won't sink. One or twice she goes under due to lack of concentration but I pull her up immediately and she flicks her wet bangs out of the way before trying again.

She's determined I'll give her that. It's not long before I no longer have to pull her along or hold her up. She merely holds on for safety. I give her tips as she goes on, performing smaller kicks to go faster and not tensing too much so it's easier to float.

As she grows more confident, I stop her. "Alright, now you're going to try on your own, just push your arms outwards in circular motions to keep you upright." I swim slightly father away to show her a demonstration before turning around. I'm nearly neck deep now. "Alright, swim towards me."

"Ok," she nods before pushing towards me, kicking her legs and moving in my direction. She's slightly shaky at first, ducking under a few times involuntarily but each time she gets back up and continues forward until she gets to me.

We repeat the task again and again until she can reach me without stopping to correct herself. That's when we move onto more complicated things like floating without moving and swimming on her back. After a few trial runs, she has it nearly mastered and now she swims around happily, smiling towards the starry sky.

"This is really relaxing," she murmurs as she swims away from me towards the centre of the lake. "I can't believe I'm actually swim-"

She moves to stand before I can yell at her not too. She's not expecting the depth and she goes right under, the water swallowing her last words. A few bubbles reach the surface before the tips of her fingers disappear from sight completely.

"Oi! Mikasa!" I yell, diving after her. I can barely see through the murky lake water but her pale skin stands out and I can just about make out her kicking and trying to resurface to no avail. I grab one of her wrists and pull her towards me. Thankfully she realises it's me and holds on as I wrap my arms around her waist bring us both to the surface.

A string of coughs escape her as she latches onto me, making it harder for me to pull her to the shallow part where we can both stand. Thank god she's lighter in water, or else this would be physically impossible.

Her coughing ceases but she still doesn't let go. It's only when I'm able to stand again, the water coming up to my chin do I realise that she's practically crushing me. Her legs are wrapped tightly around my abdomen and her arms around my neck, temple resting against mine as she breathes in relief.

"Goddammit I told you not to swim too far away, didn't I?" I scold her in a whisper. She's shivering against me and out of slight anxiousness I rub her back, turning my head towards her. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," she murmurs as she pulls backwards and looks down at me. "I'm fine... thanks."

I don't think she realises how close we are now, or how beautiful she looks in the waning light of the moon. The reflection of light on the water's surface illuminates her pale skin and highlights the small scar on her right cheekbone. Her eyes are so large and dark that the silver flecks in her irises shine brighter than the moon.

It reminds me of the night she leaned out of her window to thank me for the clothes and all I could see was her face in the night sky, the stars casting a halo above her head. Except this time, her hair is wet, droplets falling to her exposed shoulders like tears of angels and rolling down her porcelain skin.

I can't help the way my eyes leave hers and move down to her lips, usually so red but now a pale pink due to the coldness of the water. I hardly notice the low temperatures anymore, she feels so warm against me that every touch is like a caressing flame.

"Levi...?" Her voice is slightly hoarse and I notice she licks her lips discretely before I look up to meet her eyes.

There's uncertainty there, hidden within her pitch black pupils and storm-like irises. I've never seen her guard broken to the ground like this before, I've never seen her this bare. I realise that she has never been this open to anyone before in her life just by that hint of doubt in her eyes, that hint of insecurity.

"I... I..." She begins but her voice trails off as she looks down in embarrassment, not able to convey what she has to say. I understand now though, at least... I think I do. I hope I do.

Slowly, cautiously, tentatively I lean upwards just enough for our lips to touch. Hers are cold but her breath is enticingly warm against mine. It's sweet and short, only lasting a second before I pull back slightly and look up for her reaction.

Surprise. Wonder. Confusion. Relief. They're all written across her face and for a moment I think she's going to flee, that is until her hands move from the back of my neck to the corners of my jaw and she brings her lips down on mine.

She's never done this before, that's one thing I'm sure of as her lips move softly against mine. There's a small tremble in her hands as her thumb moves along my jawline but she doesn't let go and she doesn't pull away as I respond to her touch.

My arms tighten around her, pulling her closer to me and I can feel her back arch, going with the motion. One hand trails up to cup her neck and pulls her down further while the other trails down her spine, making her shiver in pleasure.

I part her lips softly, not forcing her to take any steps she doesn't want to but to my surprise, she opens her mouth eagerly. With each caress and touch, she grows more confident, her legs tighten around me and her hands entangle in my hair. Gentle, sweet kisses turn rough and longing as though time is running against us and we're taking all that we can.

Time is something neither of us are keeping track of anymore, I'm lost in her as equally as she is lost in me. There's not even water between us as my hands run down her thighs and pull her closer while she moans into my mouth.

My lips leave hers and I can sense she's about to protest until I begin to place small kisses along her jaw. My teeth nip against her skin and she tilts her head towards the sky, encouraging me to move down further. Her throat vibrates against my lips as she releases what I can only describe as a purr of pleasure. As I bite down, her nails dig into the skin of my back and I can't help the groan that emerges from deep within.

Almost impatiently, she brings my lips back to hers and suddenly she's the one in control. I can't say I mind as her tongue rolls over mine and hands entangle in my hair once more. I let my own roam, under the string of her bikini and over soft, untouched and undamaged skin.

Neither of us watch the moon rise and fall in the sky, neither of us notice the stars beginning to fade or the lake becoming colder. I can't remember where each kiss begins or where each one ends, they're all infinite and too short at the same time. I'm only aware of her, her touch, her smell, her warmth, all mingled with my own.

I can say for sure, that neither of us have any intention of regrouping with the others.


	19. Memories Better Left Forgotten

**A/N: Merry Christmas Everyone! This will be the last update for this year so have a great end to this year and I hope you like this chapter :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Nineteen: Memories Better Left Forgotten

Later on that night, I wake up for no reason at all. There's not a sound in the house, no bright lights and no movement in the room. Blinking for a moment, my eyes wander to where Mikasa had gone to bed after her shower however neither she or her bed is there.

Sitting up in confusion, I look towards the door which is still locked, the key resting on my locker where I left it. My swim shorts are still in the wet bag by the door where I tossed them before I took my own shower.

My eyes wander to the other side of the room and it's there I find her. The long side of her bed is pressed against the window and she sits on top of the duvet, knees pulled to her chest. Her head is tilted upwards so that her hair falls down to her mid back. Her raven locks contrast greatly against her pearly shoulders in the dim light, exposed by her thin tank top.

For a second, I wonder how she managed to move the whole bed without waking me but I brush the thought aside. She's Mikasa, I'm starting to believe she can accomplish anything at this rate. Wrapping the duvet around my shoulders, I focus on calming my racing heart as I move towards her.

"Did I wake you?" She asks, turning around to look at me as I sit down on the bed beside her and pull one end of the duvet around her.

"No, I just couldn't sleep," I reply as she takes the corner and pulls it around so that the two ends meet between us. "What about you?"

"I couldn't really sleep either," she answers, leaning into me slightly. "I had forgotten how beautiful the woods were and how... terrifying they can be at night."

My first response would be _'an assassin who's afraid of the dark?_ ' However I refrain from saying it when I notice the far-off look in her eyes. It's as though she's not gazing at the woods before us, but a different one belonging to a different time, a time of both happiness and sorrow.

"Why?" I ask, because it's really the only question I can ask right now.

"Why I had forgotten? I'm not too sure. Some things are better left forgotten, sometimes when memories resurface they bring more back more than I can handle."

There's a short silence before I reply; "I always thought you could handle anything."

A small sound emerges from her throat in response. I'm not sure if it's positive or negative. It has always bothered me that I can't be sure of what's she's thinking about, but now, it's ten times worse because I can't so much as even fathom a guess.

"What's on your mind?" I find the words slipping from my mouth before I can stop myself and I'm sure she's going to shut down, like the emotionless person she has trained herself to be but then she pulls her knees closer to her chest and releases a small breath through her nose.

"I'm just thinking of the past, I can't help it," she admits quietly. "This place is so similar to the cabin my parents and I used to own in the woods. We'd go up there often, just for a short vacation to get away from work and school and just be together. My dad would hunt geese for dinner, I would pick vegetables in the garden and my mom would prepare it all."

"Sounds nice," I murmur when she pauses. "Family outings..."

"I thought so too," she agrees, "it was only years later that I began to understand why we went to such a secluded space. In the evenings, when it got dark, my father would start to light a fire and my mother would take me outside. She used to say that training was best done in cold, dark conditions because those are the ones I would be subjected too. Every night when we were out there, she'd dress me in traditional black robes and I would practise until I stopped cutting myself with the blade and losing my balance in the trees. I was told that my weapon and shadows were the only tools I would need in this life."

"Do you like it?" I ask suddenly which causes her to turn to me in confusion. "The training and the fighting, do you enjoy it?"

She doesn't answer right away and she turns back towards the shadowy woods, her eyes blurring from the flood of memories once more. "I never really stopped to ask myself that question, to be honest. I guess, I always accepted that it was a part of my life, the same way school and college is a part of yours. It was difficult and harsh at times but... I suppose I really did like it when my mother used to smile proudly when I did something right. Her whole face used to light up and I can always remember wanting to learn more and do more. I wanted to keep our traditions alive."

Wanted. Past tense. "Do you still want that?"

Her brows draw together at my question and she shakes her head. "I'm not so sure anymore. If everyone was as accepting of it as you are then I would but that's not the case."

She pauses for a moment and her eyes slide shut, dark lashes fanning out over her cheekbones. She shivers slightly but it's not from the cold, I don't know what it's from. I never realised I've been tracing small circles along her lower back with my fingertips until I feel her shiver..

"I remember our last trip up to that cabin. It was during the winter and we hadn't planned on it. My father took me out of school early and he didn't take me home. He took me to a strange place on the outskirts of town where my mother was waiting with our luggage. I knew there was something wrong the second she got in the car but I was too scared to ask. They had an argument, my father cursed the Shinigami and then they apologised to one another right before we arrived. It still didn't feel normal though. Nothing felt right."

Her eyes remain shut as she speaks and this time, I only listen, not attempting to interrupt for a second. This is taking a lot out of her, the same way our trip to that juvenile detention centre did. She's paler and her breath is more shallow but still she continues on, like she always does.

"That night there was a snow storm. I'll never forget how afraid I was, or how ashamed I was of the fear that I couldn't even go to the other room to confide in my own mother. Keenan Mrynack found us that night with three of his henchmen and despite my mother's talents, she couldn't stop him. I think my father managed to ring the police at some stage because they found me some time later, huddled in the woods alone. They never found Mrynack."

As she finishes, she releases a small breath and gently falls against me, as though her energy is gone. She remains silent, the only sounds are those of her small shallow breaths. I feel like I should say something, anything but nothing will come to me. It's not something I've ever experienced before; the inability to make a quick comment or reply at all.

So I do the only thing I can do really. I pull her closer, my arm fitting perfectly around her and commit the sense of her freshly washed hair to my memory.

"I'm sorry," I say softly. "I know what it's like to lose your parents."

Her spine tenses beneath my arm as she sits up straighter and looks at me. Her eyes are no longer the blank grey I've become accustomed to, now they shine with empathy and worry. If anyone else looked at me like that, I would become angry but with her... it's different.

"What happened?" Her voice is barely above a whisper, as though this is a question she's not sure she should ask.

"We had a dinner party a few years back. My father liked to show off to the neighbours and my mother did everything in her power to keep him happy, even if it meant overworking or hurting herself. She worshipped him for reasons I still don't understand but my uncle seemed to. He hired an assassin to rid my mother of my father on the night of that party."

"Annie..." She murmurs regretfully.

I nod stiffly at the name. "She got the job done but only after my mother had thrown herself in front of my father to protect him. It wasn't a part of the plan but my uncle didn't stop her, no one did, everyone just watched in horror, including me."

I have to swallow the lump that's forming in my throat as my mother's pained expression comes to mind. The way her eyes widened with the first puncture to her stomach, the way she looked down before her shocked gaze met mine and she cried for the child she had to leave behind and the child she had no choice but to lose.

"They were supposed to announce that she was pregnant that night," I continue, closing my eyes in an effort to rid myself of the memories. "I only found out I would have been a big brother after the postmortem tests."

There's more I want to tell her, about how my uncle never once apologised, about how he must've thought giving me my inheritance early was enough, about how I learned to live on my own two feet with Erwin as a roommate but I don't. She hasn't told me everything, I know that much and so, I will do the same. Now just isn't the time for the rest of our stories.

"You were right that some things were better left forgotten," I mutter under my breath.

There's a sudden shift in the bed and I feel two warm hands on either side of my face. My eyes open out of surprise to see Mikasa kneeling in front of me, in the space between my legs and her own gaze is full of honesty and sorrow.

"I'm sorry," she begins softly. "I never realised that..." She trails off, her cheeks glowing a slight pink colour in the darkness as she's probably realised our proximity. "I'm sorry about your mom and your unborn brother, you... you would make an amazing older-brother."

She looks away, an almost guilty expression on her face. "But... If I had a chance to change it all, I wouldn't. I know it sounds selfish but if I did, if my parents were still alive... I probably would've been sent off to a posh boarding school and I never would've met you." She takes a deep breath and I can't help but notice the shakiness in it. "I prefer this future, to the one I might have had."

She doesn't look back up as she finishes, her eyes remain fixated downwards as if her last words were sinful and evil. I've never once seen her look guilty or as though she is wrong. It's not a look that suits her in the slightest.

"I feel the same," I tell her softly which causes her to look up in surprise, her bottom lip falling in an enticing way. My hand squeezes hers and I lean down, capturing her lips with my own. She hesitates slightly, leading me to believe she's still not used to this. To be honest, I'm not either but I can learn, we're both very fast learners.

As she pulls away from the soft, sweet kiss, her eyes meet mine and relief floods her features. The insecurity that was there earlier has all but vanished and I'm not sure why but I love the way I can make her feel safe and secure.

"I wouldn't change a thing."


	20. The Words That Change Everything

**A/N: Happy New Years everyone, thanks for everyone who is reading this and for being so patient! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Twenty: The Words That Change Everything

Mikasa was right. The woods can be terrifying at night.

I'm running through them now, avoiding shadows that gleam with red eyes and praying for the moon's light to appear between the trees and illuminate my path. I don't know where I'm going. I don't know how I came to be here. All I know, is that I need to find Mikasa and fast.

My lungs burn for oxygen and I have no choice but to stop and catch my breath. Bending over and squeezing my eyes shut, I try to calm my rapidly beating heart to no avail. I can't say for sure how long I've been here but for some reason, I have a strange sense that I'm running out of time.

Sniff. Sniff. Drop. Splash.

As the first tear hits the forest floor I look up to find Mikasa facing me. She's standing in her night clothes; short-shorts and a tank top. Her cheeks are streaked with tears, they leak from her eyes relentlessly and fall to the ground as she sniffs sorrowfully.

Why is she crying? Why does she looks so betrayed?

My hand reaches out towards her but she shakes her head and steps back. Her tears turn to rain drops as the heavens open and she rushes to the right. I call out of her but she doesn't listen, disappearing behind a tree trunk for a split-second.

As she reappears, she is no longer the teenager I know. She's smaller and less developed, wearing a dirty, blood-stained, ragged night dress. Her hair is much longer, nearly reaching her mid-back and her hands, so small and dainty, clutch at the bracelet around her forearm.

She's still crying, her whimpers high-pitched and innocent, like the child she now is. Her small legs pound against the ground as she pushes herself to go as fast as she can. She wipes at her eyes with her torn sleeve as she runs, trying to remove the tears but all she does is spread a trail of blood across her eyes.

Another tree trunk obscures my vision of her but when she reappears, she's back the way she was only completely different. She's not the girl I kissed in the lake, she's the girl I met in the café only covered in the traditional robes of the Shinigami.

A leather band around her waist holds the black knee-high dress securely in place while two slits run up daringly to her hips. Elbow length sleeves run down her arms, hugging them tight and exposing the bracelet she is never without. Leather shoulder pads are held together by silver chains that criss-cross along her back and chest and secure themselves to the band around her waist. Her black leather boots run up to her knees and a hood casts shadows over her face.

Her steely grey eyes shine out from beneath those shadows though, alive with cold storms and full of bloodlust. Her mouth, barely visible to my eyes no longer offers a warm smile but an icy scowl as she glares at something behind me.

She dashes forward, blade protruding from her bracelet and for a second, I think she means to kill me but then, she pushes past me and time slows down. Her arm draws back, the steel of her blade shining in the dim light and I can barely see a cigar illuminating an older, masculine face reflected in it.

Then she's gone. Time reverts back to normal. I blink and turn, ready to help her but she's not there. The woods have vanished and I'm standing in front of my school. The door swings in the wind, banging noisily against the wall and I don't hesitate to go inside.

I can hear gunshots and insane laughter - female laughter. The nerves in my body alight with flames as though her voice is chalk screeching against a black board and I find myself running in the direction of it.

Mikasa's in danger. I know she is.

My feet take me to the third floor of our school and I burst into a classroom. Chairs and tables are scattered everywhere, a man stands in a corner smoking a cigar while Mikasa goes head to head with the woman who laughs insanely.

Annie.

"Mikasa!" I yell but it's such a mistake. I distract her, causing her to look in my direction in worry to make sure I am safe. In her concern for my own life, she loses all for her own and Annie sends a strong kick to her stomach. Mikasa tumbles backwards and into the window, breaking the glass and falling three stories into the deep pool below.

All I can think is: she can't swim. She will drown. And so, I sprint past the blonde bitch and dive out the window after Mikasa. The wind rushes past me, my stomach lifts with the feeling of falling and the murky red water hits my face.

I flinch and my eyes fly open. The brightness of the open room causes me to blink rapidly, the light too strong for my adjusting vision. It's only as I lie still for a second that I realise my pulse is racing in my throat and my breath is shallow. I have to swallow hard and take a few deep breaths to calm myself.

It was just a dream.

Something moves beside me as I feel hair too long to be my own tickle my neck. A soft sigh allows a flurry of warm air to tickle my neck and I look down to find Mikasa still sound asleep beside me. Somehow, watching her breath in and out softly calms my own breathing rate and soon it matches hers.

I study her features for just a bit longer, taking the time to drink in all the details she never really gives anyone the time to. Such as the unusual shape of her eye and her high cheek bones which would be more predominant if her cheeks were less pudgy. A small scar curls perfectly beneath her eye, the wound a small crevice in her otherwise flawless skin.

My eyes wander down to her bare shoulder where small pale pink lines stretch across the near-porcelain-like surface. Some are a darker shade than others, proving they're either more deep or more fresh. Her midriff, exposed by the short tank top, is more scarred than her shoulders and even more than her legs.

For some reason, the fact that she has to live with them everyday angers me. I've caught her a few times, pulling up the neckline of low jumpers to hide them lest our friends see, or putting on two pairs of tights so that the scars won't be visible through them.

It's not fair that she has to constantly hide something she didn't cause.

There's nothing I can do about it though. If I could make them disappear, I would. If I could inflict those wounds on the bastards who put them there, I would. If I could stop everyone from judging her because of them, I would.

So I'll do the one thing my father could never do for my mother. I'll make sure she never gets hurt again.

"You're staring again," she murmurs suddenly, cracking open one eye.

I give her a dubious look, raising an eyebrow at her. "I think I'm allowed at this stage."

I don't think she fully understands because her brows furrow and so I look her up and down, silently gesturing towards our situation. Her ears turn red at the same pace as her cheeks and she looks down, fingering the sheets nervously.

"So does this mean we're...?" She trails off not fully able to say the word but I know what she means, I just don't know if that's what we _are_ at the moment.

"We don't have to put a label on it right now," I respond calmly. "It just means Jean has to keep his damn hands to himself."

She smiles a little at the last part and nods once. "I like the sound of that."

* * *

The car ride home is calm and gentle. Everyone is exhausted from the activities of the holiday and a collection of snores drift up from the bus on the way home. I can only hear through one ear, the other is plugged by one earphone while Mikasa has the other. She's asleep again, her head lolling for a bit before finally coming to rest on my shoulder.

In a way, I'm glad the vacation is over, in another, I'm not. I can't really explain why but I have this lingering sense of coldness inside, as though I'm hanging over a glacier. The freezing temperatures lick up at me, like icy flames and I can't put an end to this uneasy feeling. It keeps rising to the surface and the black storm clouds on the horizon only amplify it.

I'm the only one who doesn't get a wink of sleep on the long bus ride home.

We get dropped off right at my door and Mikasa gets off at my stop. She has nothing in the fridge at home so I tell her she can get something to eat at mine and then I can drop her home. At this stage, she is no longer tense when she's in my house so she immediately sits down on the couch, another yawn escaping her lips.

I can hear the shower going upstairs so I assume it's Erwin. There's a dirty plate in the sink and a lingering smell of curry in the air so I put the kettle on and start washing-up. It's unusual for Erwin to leave dishes in the sink or take showers so late at night. It's nearly eleven o'clock as it is - not exactly the perfect time for dinner but we didn't get anything to eat on the journey home.

Checking what we have in the fridge, I walk back to the couch. "Alright, Mikasa it's a choice between beans-"

I cut myself short as I notice that she can't hear a word I'm saying. She's curled up in a ball on the couch, snoring softly with her eyes closed. I heave a sigh, knowing she won't move until morning and drape a blanket over her so she won't get cold. Erwin won't mind her sleeping over another night.

Speak of the devil, he comes down the stairs in an old sweat pants and loose t-shirt that act as his pyjamas. He looks surprised to see me, his golden eyebrows rising.

"I didn't expect you home so soon," he says in greeting. "How was your vacation?"

"Unexpectedly good," I reply. "How's the cold case coming along or have you given up on it yet?"

He stops in his tracks as he moves to get a drink and turns towards me in a manner that I can only describe as awkward. His brows furrow and his lips thin as if he's not sure how to answer the question. The feeling of dread returns despite my efforts to ignore it.

"No, I haven't given up," he begins slowly. "In fact, it's going much the same as your vacation went; unexpectedly good."

He takes out a folder and lays it on the counter, beginning to remove various documents. I watch curiously.

"If it's going so well, why aren't you more enthusiastic?"

He looks up at my dry tone and the look comes into his eyes again, his hands halting for a moment. "I'm not sure you want to know the answer to that."

His tone is serious and I can't help but look a little closer at the files he's producing. He knows I want to know, he wouldn't have taken them out otherwise but his statement seems like more of a warning not to let my curiosity get the better of me.

Too late.

"Tell me," I order firmly, nodding downwards.

"Well, all the other files I had were mere rubbish in comparison to this one. This one," he points down at the yellow booklet sharply, "was stolen from the department and all virtual back-ups were erased at the beginning of the summer, right before I reopened this case. Hanji led me to it by mere accident."

"Hanji?" I repeat.

"Yes but that's not important, I'll fill you in on the details later," he waves away my surprise as though it's nothing. "This file holds the records of the deaths of our killers last victims, only this time, he failed to kill one of them. He took two men up to a remote house in the woods where a family were staying. The husband and wife fought back but were killed in the process, then the daughter, only a little twelve year old managed to kill his two accomplices before fleeing into the woods. The police received a call from the husband before he was killed but when they arrived, the girl and the killer were gone. They found the little girl two days later hiding in the woods."

This story sounds all too familiar, only it has the missing details that I wasn't told. The feeling in my stomach only intensifies but I keep my face completely stoic and don't mention it, motioning for Erwin to continue.

"There was no trial, with no one to defend or prosecute so the girl was questioned by the authorities for three days," his voice holds a solemn tone to it. "She was very hostile and unresponsive so she was placed into a juvenile detention centre since she had no other guardians. It was also for her own protection and the protection of others, they didn't know if she would kill again or not, even if the one time was in self-defence. She was released when she turned eighteen at the start of the summer."

I find myself nodding slowly, his words registering with me but not at the same time. The young girl instantly takes on the appearance of the child from my dream. Hanging my head and closing my eyes I try to block out the images but they remain because deep down, I know they fit. I just don't want to believe it.

"What was her name?" I ask hoarsely, not looking up at him.

A pause. A deep breath. "Mikasa Ackerman."

Silence. The air is suddenly very cold and tight in the room. I can feel Erwin's piercing gaze that never leaves my face but I can't meet it just yet. I swallow, take a deep breath and then look up, my face as blank as a fresh sheet.

"You found the files in her flat, didn't you?"

He nods once. "Hanji called me right before you went for your jog and sent me over there to make sure everything was alright and asked me to collect a few things for her. I found them in the wardrobe."

He doesn't sound proud of it.

"Did you go to the detention centre?" I ask quietly.

Another solemn nod. "Yeah, they told me everything I needed to know. Your girl is a tough one. In a mere month she climbed to the top of the food chain and toppled anyone who started a fight with her. In six years, her counsellor never got her to utter a single word of her feelings and every guard reported that they feared her the most even though she never did a thing to harm them."

So that's how she met Annie. She stayed in that hellhole for six years with the little blonde bitch and they made an agreement to take Mrynack down. That's why she never went to a public school. That's why she doesn't get on with others. That's why she could only read cocktail recipes. That's why she has all those scars.

Only a few minutes ago, I had thought I knew nearly everything about Mikasa. She was no longer the new 'Oriental' girl who served me coffee, she was the girl who had my back on an ODM racing track and who was so determined and hardworking, she shined. Now, I feel as though I know her less than ever. I can't see her shining behind the thick, black mist of secrets that surround her and her past.

"Keenan Mrynack," I say after another short silence. "That's the name the killer goes by now. She's been tracking him for a while, that's why she stole the file. He travels a lot and has some high connections according to some of the people she's interrogated. Thats as much as she has told me."

"She told you this?" Erwin asks in surprise and I nod curtly in answer. His brows draw together as he murmurs the name again. Then he grabs a pen and paper. "Spell it."

So I do, to the best of my ability. It spells just as it sounds. As soon as he has it written down, he goes to the line below and begins writing. His brows furrow and he scribbles out his words before writing again, chewing on the pen in thought. Then he clicks it shut and pauses to review the simple four words he has written. The four words that will change everything.

 _Keenan Mrynack_

 _Kenny Ackerman_

My blood runs cold.

"It's an anagram," he explains. "Keenan Mrynack has never come up in the database but Kenny Ackerman certainly has." He pauses to look up at me. "Do you think Mikasa knows his true identity?"

"No, she doesn't even know of Kenny," I reply, still a bit in shock.

"You two never talked about him or that night?" Erwin asks and I know exactly which night he is referring to.

"We talked about that dinner party and him but I never mentioned a name," I reply, raking a hand through my hair and beginning to pace towards the other side of the kitchen. Erwin turns to watch me. "You know I detest talking about it."

"Are you going to tell her?"

"No."

Erwin's brows furrow as I pace towards him and I know he doesn't think it's a good idea. So I turn again and continue wearing a hole in the floor so I don't have to meet his gaze.

"Secrets aren't good in any relationship. She deserves to know that the man who butchered her family and destroyed her life-"

"Is my uncle and sole guardian?" I finish for him in a dead voice.

H doesn't reply and I don't turn to face him, I can't bring myself to. I know he'll give me that serious, coaxing gaze and I'll have to follow his advice. He is right after all. She's worked so hard, she does deserve to know but how can I tell her?

The silence stretches on and then I hear Erwin clear his throat behind me. "Levi."

His voice is quiet and the warning tone in his voice makes me turn around. He's not looking at me though, he's watching the girl standing stiffly in the middle of our kitchen.

Mikasa doesn't meet his gaze, she practically ignores him, staring right at me. Her lips are parted in shock and her grey eyes are wide with shock. I don't know how much of our conversation she heard, but if I had to make a guess, she definitely caught the last part.

I slowly uncross my arms and let them hang by my sides, not fully sure what I should do or say. If I thought the air was cold before, it feels baltic now as though we're ten thousand feet beneath the weight of the sea.

Her eyes are beginning to shine, not a starry shine but one of moisture. Her lip trembles and her hands are shaking by her sides, it's the most emotional I've ever seen her. But that all changes when she bites down on her lip in anger, and curls her hands into fists.

"You've been working with him this whole time, haven't you?" She says not in an angry voice but in an extremely low one, holding contempt that sends a jab through my stomach. She shakes her head when I don't say anything, I'm still trying to process her words.

"I'm such an idiot," she whispers before she turns and dashes out the door.

I don't move for a second, still not completely sure what just happened but it's when I see her arm rise and wipe over her eyes as she departs that my feet begin to move. Erwin yells after me, that I have no shoes or no jacket on but I'm not listening.

I have to make her see the truth.

The rain lashes down around us, soaking me to the bone and making my head stick to my forehead. Deep puddles are already beginning to form on the uneven road and I can no longer feel my feet or the rough stones that cut them. The strong wind rushes through me, like the icy breath of a vicious goddess. I keep pushing through though, squinting through the storm at the girl running in front of me.

I call her name and then she stops abruptly, whipping around and delivering a high kick I have no hope of dodging. My cheeks flares in pain and the blow is enough to to send me on my back on the ground. Before I can even sit up, she's on top of me, knees pinning my arms to my sides and blade pointed at my throat.

"Mikasa-"

"No, don't." Her voice is filled with barely held back rage, mirrored by her stormy grey eyes. "You've said enough."

"No, I haven't," I lean up and the knife cuts my neck, I can feel a bead of blood run down my skin like the raindrops. "I have had nothing to do with my uncle for years now-"

"You said he's your legal guardian," she hisses.

I grit my teeth in annoyance. "He is but we have no contact. I didn't know he had anything to do with your parents' murder-"

Her legs tighten and I wince at the pressure on my arms. "You're lying."

"Listen to me for a second, brat!" It feels like my arms are about to snap at any moment and I can't help but grimace because of the the pain. "I'm not-"

"Why should I believe you?" She demands more honestly than I expect. With each word more and more moisture gathers at the rims of her eyes. "You tricked me into joining the ODM team to observe my skills, you spent all that time studying with me and testing me just to watch me and you made me fall-"

She cuts herself off suddenly, the anger washing away from her features as quickly as it appeared. She merely stares at me with wide eyes and lips parted while her wet hair creates a small curtain around us, blocking out the rest of the world. Her face, hovering over mine, shields me from the rain but then I feel a drop on my cheek and another just above my lip. I lick it away upon instinct, a salty taste coming to my mouth.

Tears.

"Mikasa..."

The blade retracts. The pressure is removed from my arms. Rain hits my face. The sound of rushed footsteps through puddles reaches my ear. Then she's gone, blending into the shadows from which she was born.


	21. Strike the Blood

**A/N: I'm afraid this story is going to be coming to an end soon, if all goes to plan, there should be two more chapters after this one. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and messaged so far and I hope you enjoy this next chapter :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Twenty-One: Strike the Blood.

"Higher, Levi!" Hanji yells from above, her voice echoing through the sports hall of the school.

I grit my teeth and pull down on the rope, my feet digging into the ground. "I can't get you any higher, Four-Eyes! You weigh a tonne!"

"Nonsense, you can do it," she calls down, trying to reach the crystal chandelier to replace a bulb. "Or else get Mikasa to help you!"

My grip slips suddenly at the name and Hanji lets put a yelp of terror from above. I just manage to catch the rope again and begin to tug harder to get her back up. My eyes wander around as I hope no one noticed but more than that, I hope to spot pale skin and raven hair in the crowd.

I'm no longer surprised when I don't find her.

It's been nearly two weeks since Mikasa vanished from the face of the earth. I've exhausted nearly every resource in an attempt to locate her. I've called her phone, I visited her flat which had been cleared out completely, I went to the café where I was told she had resigned and I went to the secretary's office, asking for information.

No one has heard from her and when I'm asked where she is, all I can reply is the truth: I don't know.

Every so often, I find myself scrolling through my contacts and finding the one of my uncle. My finger always hovers above the call sign but never makes contact. If I ring and he doesn't answer, that mans she has probably succeeded but if he does answer, that means she didn't succeed and I will never see her again.

Hanji's cries for me to lower her back down break me out of my thoughts. I let her down a bit too quickly, causing her to land on her back. She just bounces up with a small shout of indignation. She can tell from my features that I am not in the mood to argue.

"Cheer up, Levi!" She grins and hops in front of me, pushing her glasses up her nose. "The winter dance is this weekend and then you can finally put the moves on Mika!"

 _Put the moves on her?_ What an out-dated, ridiculous term. I give Hanji a dead look, wanting to tell her that Mikasa and I had already 'put the moves on each other' and I did not need any dance to give me the opportune moment to do so.

No dance could help me now anyway.

"I'm not going," I say as I push past her.

Her sudden grip on my shoulders is like iron and I'm stuck in her grasp. "Yes you are," she argues. "Sasha has spent weeks talking to different catering companies, Jean and Eren have finally agreed on a playlist for the DJ, Connie nearly robbed a warehouse to get the lights and I have poured tears, sweat and blood into decorating this place and getting you a tuxedo. You are not backing out of this, Ackerman!"

I've never hated the sound of my name so much until now. "Build and bridge, get over it and then jump off it," I growl, pushing her off of me and walking away. I can hear her mumble something about torn love before I storm out the door.

* * *

It's late by the time I get home. The sun has already begun to dip behind the horizon. It feels like I've gone everywhere and nowhere all at once. I went to the park, the café, the bar, the shops, her flat and yet in every place I have found nothing.

When I walk into the kitchen, I'm greeted by the last person I want to see right now.

"What are you doing here, Shitty Glasses?" I demand, glaring at the girl who munches on the last of the rice balls in the fridge.

"I invited her," Erwin speaks up from his position in front of a large pile of files. "I thought she might be able to help find Mikasa."

"How is a deranged, wannabe mad scientist going to help us find her?" I gesture towards the girl who is currently trying to get a grain of rice out of her nose unsuccessfully.

"You said she was obsessed with Mikasa and that she stalked her," Erwin looks towards Hanji who nods proudly in response. "Maybe she knows something you don't."

"She doesn't even know any of Mikasa's secrets," I argue.

"She does now," Erwin states calmly. "I told her everything."

"You _what_?"

I send him a piercing glare but he holds up a hand to ask me to give him the time to justify his reasonings. "Right now, the most important thing we need to do is locate and retrieve Mikasa, it doesn't matter which of us knows what of her shady past at this stage, all we need to do is ensure her safety before she does something reckless."

"It's doubtful she will," Hanji pipes up suddenly. "Although some of her actions in the past may have appeared to be reckless, she never charges into a situation where she is unsure if she will come out victorious. Even when her back is against the wall, she calculates her next move carefully before advancing. I'm not sure how her brain can function on reflex like so, it must be in her genes."

"Get to the point, Four-Eyes," I growl impatiently.

"Therefore, I can hypothesise with the utmost ensuring that she has not made an attempt on Kenny Ackerman's life yet. It's too soon. She probably assumes that you've informed Kenny of her existence and her thirst for blood. She knows that if Kenny is aware that she's after him, he will be on his best guard so she has to place a trap and then go in for the kill. It will be the only way to get to your uncle, right? And if he's anyway as smart as you are, he won't fall for it so easily. She has to bide her time on this one, otherwise it won't work."

"That's... true," I mutter after a second of going over the details. "But even so, it's been nearly two weeks now, she's bound to strike soon."

Hanji nods in agreement. "Indeed, I've never observed her when she's been placed in this kind of situation before but Mikasa will rely on her instincts as well as her knowledge and both say it's better to get rid of a threat as soon as possible."

"So it's highly likely, she'll try to end all of this within the next two days," Erwin says quietly. "We just don't know where and how."

That's the biggest problem. Not knowing where she is. Mikasa was unpredictable before but now, predicting her movements will be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Without a magnet, it's hopeless. Every conversation we had on that vacation and even before then, all the subtle little hints, all the small clues she muttered; there has to be something...

Then it hits me.

"Mikasa talked about her plan for him once before," I say suddenly. "A girl she knew, Annie, got out of the juvenile detention centre recently and she was a witness to all of Kenny's crimes so he wouldn't let her live for long once she was free. Mikasa is going to use her as bait to get Kenny out in the open and then she'll kill him."

Erwin and Hanji share a look before the blonde asks; "what is Annie's second name?"

"Leonhart."

His eyes are like clear blue skies that have suddenly been darkened by storm clouds. They widen before narrowing in a grim expression and Hanji covers her mouth in shock. I don't understand why the name is so significant, why they're so shocked. I've told them about the night at the party, I've told them about how she was caught but why-?

"Annie Leonhart is not just a witness to Kenny's crimes, Levi," Erwin begins solemnly.

"She was practically his right-hand man back in the day," Hanji adds.

"She accompanied him on every one of his murders, or so she claimed, up until the day she killed your mother and father, that was when she was sent to the juvenile detention centre. They apparently wanted to change her mindset but Kenny had raised her to be a killer, he's like a father to her. She will not betray him, no matter what."

"But then why-?" I don't finish the question. I don't need to. We all know the answer to it.

She's going to lure Mikasa in, so Kenny can finish what he started six years ago.

"We need to find Mikasa _right now_ ," I growl through my teeth.

"She's at the school," Hanji announces suddenly.

Erwin and I both look towards her in shock and she just shrugs her shoulders. "While you two were talking, I rebooted the tracking system I placed on her phone. It's not easy stalking someone who's used to disappearing, you know so I had to think of more advanced ways. Jean helped me out with the technological side of things."

"Of course he fucking helped," I mutter before grabbing my keys and heading towards the door.

"Levi, where are you going?" Erwin demands, rising from his seat and walking after me.

"To find Mikasa and bring her home," I reply bluntly.

"She may not even be there. The school's closed right now, maybe Hanji's device is broken-"

"I'm not taking that risk."

"And my device is not broken," the mad scientist adds indignantly.

"Even so, what will you do once you find her? She's not going to listen to you," Erwin says, grabbing my arm.

"I'll make her listen."

* * *

The school is nearly as eerie as the woods are at night. The trees around it have lost all their leaves and so they cast shadows over the dark vacant building due to the light of the moon. There is no noise except for the odd rustling of leaves along the pavement, like nails dragging against a coffin lid.

The front door of the school is open ajar and I can't help but hesitate before entering. Something is twisting in my stomach, it feels like deja vu but in a slightly horrifying way. The shadowy corridor glares out at me, daring to enter its world of illusionary nightmares at my own risk.

Despite this awful sensation, I proceed, closing the door behind me. The corridors are completely silent and illuminated only by the light of the moon and the small green safety lights that remain on at all times. They do little to help me distinguish my surroundings and the feeling in my stomach only worsens.

A door slams ahead of me and a figure runs across the end of the hall, entering another classroom. My hearts racing in my chest as I run after her, noticing the short hair and slender form.

"Mikasa!" I call, bursting through the door.

There's no one in here though.

The door clicks closed behind me as I walk further in. Then there comes another click; the sound of the door locking. Something's wrong, I can feel it as the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

I drop to the ground and roll away just as I sense a knife cutting through the air where my neck had just been. Turning and jumping to my feet, I quickly scan the room for something to use as a weapon, something that could do as much damage as a knife. Nothing catches my eye though and so I raise my fists, focusing solely on my attacker.

"Alex."

Annie stands before me, knife held firmly in her right hand and her left hovering out in front of her. Her eyes are a deadly yet serene blue while her brows are turned down in an expression of distaste and determination.

"Or should I say Levi?" She twirls the knife around in her hand, causing it to glint in an almost bloodthirsty manner.

"Where's Mikasa?" I growl.

"She's busy with Kenny," the blonde replies neutrally. "You should be more worried about your own safety right now."

My eyes narrow on her and I tilt my head to the side, feeling the vertebrae crack satisfyingly. "No, you should be."

With that, I grab the nearest chair. It's plastic and light and easy to lob at her head at a frightening speed. She rolls under it more quickly than I expect her to and closes the distance between us, lashing out vertically with the knife. It slashes right through the air in front of my face as I roll backwards over a table to dodge it, getting to my feet quickly.

"You missed," I taunt but then I see her smirk.

"Did I?" She asks as her eyes leave mine and travel to the space between us where a few small strands of my front hair float daintily towards the ground.

"You bitch," I snarl, kicking the table between us so that it flies towards her.

The force of it surprises her and pushes her back but she's quick to recover and move towards me, knife held firmly in hand.

"How long do you think you'll last by just throwing furniture around?" She demands viciously, attacking relentlessly with her weapon.

Each swipe comes faster and harder and I'm forced to focus on my footwork and dodging lest I get one of my primary blood vessels slashed open. It's clear that Kenny taught her well but if I had a knife rather than just my fists, I'd wipe the floor with her.

Beggars can't be choosers.

The back of my legs hit a table, breaking my concentration for a second. There's a stinging sensation on my bicep and blood begins to stain my shirt. Annie doesn't hesitate to go in for the fatal blow but thankfully I get out of the way just in time and send a high kick to her back with enough force to flip her over the table.

My initial thought is to make a run for it and lock the door but then I remind myself that Kenny's trained her. She'll have that knife in the back of my head before I reach the door and on the rare chance she misses, she can probably pick locks as well as I can.

Speak of the devil, she's charging this way yet again. The thirst for blood dazzles in her blue eyes as she holds the knife with both hands. Her movements are every bit as concentrated as when we first started this fight but even so, her hatred is clouding her perception. It's only a matter of time until she makes-

A mistake.

She pulls back the knife and launches it straight for my face. I dodge just in time but the force and follow-through is too much and it leaves her back wide open. The opportunity is there and I'm sure as hell not going to waste it.

My knuckles crack as my fist tightens right before I send it crashing down into her mid-back. She screams out in pain as the knife falls from her hands and skitters across the floor. She falls to the ground on her side, her face contorted in agony.

"The kidney is considered one of the most vulnerable parts of the body when hit with enough force at the right angle since it's not protected by your ribs," I tell her, kicking the knife further away. "And since you have two of them, that means the whole midriff of your back is practically defenceless if not guarded properly."

The heel of my shoe crashes into the other side of her back and she cries out again, tears falling from her eyes despite her efforts to hold them in.

"You wouldn't know that though, you don't study biology," I say with distaste as I bend down to stare at her pathetic features. "Your brain is said to be one of the least vulnerable because it's surrounded by a fuse joint but..." I grab her by her ponytail, "people often forget that the skull can crack quite easily."

With that, I slam her head into the cold, hard floor and she lies still. A strange sense of satisfaction comes to me when I see the blood begin to form a pool around her head, like the halo of a devil.

"That was for my mother," I mutter as I walk away and grab the knife before taking out my cellphone.

Erwin answers almost immediately. "Did you find her?"

"I'm closing in on her now," I reply as I exit the classroom. "Kenny and Annie are here, I took care of the female but Mikasa's with Kenny right now. I need you to send reinforcements immediately."

"Alright, we're on our way. Be careful," he says before the connection goes dead.


	22. Bloody Thorns

A/N: Hi, sorry this is a day late, I just didn't have the time to update yesterday. This is the second last chapter, only one more to go so I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Bloody Thorns

My feet slap against the tiled floor of the school as I look into each classroom. Every one is empty and the shadows seem to increase in depth around me. I'm running out of time. I'm already on the third floor, sprinting across the long hallway that overlooks the side of the swimming pool. The next corner will reveal the last line of classrooms and if she's not there...

No. She has to be there. There isn't any other place she can be.

I slow my pace as I turn the corner, flanking the wall and creeping slowly. The first classroom is empty but as I reach the door of the second, I begin to hear voices.

"Alright girlie, we've been at this for fifteen minutes, who sold me out?"

That's my uncle's voice; laid back and rough with a deadly edge to it like a concealed knife. I crouch low beside the door and ready my knife but I don't move just yet. My gut tells me not to.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Mikasa's voice is cold and hard like ice. There's no sounds of movement which is strange.

"Who told you my real identity?" He says although this time his voice is less relaxed.

"Don't ask me." I can almost visualise her shrugging indifferently as she speaks, but I can't understand why she isn't telling him. It was me who revealed everything - well, technically it was Erwin and I - but even so, why wouldn't she drag me down with her?

"Christ, you're like a parrot. 'I don't know.' 'Don't ask me.' Then you give me that venomous look," he pauses before snorting. "Yeah that one. Look, I get that you hate me for... you know... murdering your parents and ruining your childhood and all that but if you answer now, I'll make your death as painless as possible."

"How tempting," she drawls. "But I'll pass."

There's a tense silence. Not a single movement reaches my ear and I find myself holding my breath. All she needs is to say my name and I'm sure Kenny would be at my house in less than a blink, shooting down the door and slitting my throat so no one else would ever know of him. There's no one else left in our family except for me. It would be easy him to remain incognito forever with both Mikasa and I gone.

Yet she's not giving me up.

Then Kenny sighs and he steps forward. "Final chance, girlie. The night's young, Annie's patrolling the corridors, we're the only ones here and you're tied up after stupidly falling into a trap you set for me-"

"Thanks to your precious blonde bimbo-"

A gun shot and glass shattering to the ground cuts her off. I flinch and it takes all my willpower to stop myself from running in. He hasn't shot her, I know by her ragged breathing and the fact that he's still talking.

"Don't interrupt and don't test me. I've been playing this game far longer than you have," he spits. "So you either fess up or I start blowing chunks of your body off until you tell me who to kill next."

That's when I hear the smooth metallic sound of a bullet sliding into a gun, followed by the tiny click where the safety is securely switched off. Another step forward from him. Another shaky breath from Mikasa.

 _Say my name!_

"What's it going to be girlie? A hole in your left foot? Or the informative's name?"

 _Say my name!_

The seconds tick on. My body is frozen in shock. I'm waiting for her to say it, to give in. She has no reason to defend me. She thinks I'm in league with Kenny. She thinks I betrayed her so why isn't she doing the same? Why is she protecting me?

Why does she have to be so fucking loyal?

Another step forwards. "Time's up, girlie."

Another ragged breath.

I can't wait any longer.

My right foot pushes against the ground and I launch into the room. Mikasa's back is to me, her hands tied behind a chair with tight rope while Kenny points a gun down to her foot. His features are shadowed because he's facing away from the window, the dim light only hits his back but I can tell he's surprised.

He aims a shot for me and fires, missing by mere millimetres. I manoeuvre around Mikasa and slash upwards with the knife, cutting deep into his palm. Blood flies through the air, hitting the floor along with the gun and I send a sharp knee to his stomach.

The air is forced out of him and he cripples over in pain. His body can't take hits like it used to apparently. I waste no time in sending my free fist into the side of his face, knocking him to the ground.

For a second, he doesn't get up. He stays down and I place myself firmly between him and the vulnerable Mikasa. He's still choking on the ground, his hand shaking from loss of blood and pain and so I take what time I can to turn to check on Mikasa.

"Levi?" She barely whispers as though she's afraid I'll deny it and vanish at the sound of my name. She resembles a deer caught in headlights with her eyes so wide and lips parted. I notice her shoulders shaking slightly, from either fear, adrenaline or shock - I don't know but it's not like her.

"Are you hurt?" I ask, looking her up and down as I bend to her level. It's then I realise she's wearing the robes of the female Shinigami, all black with silver chains and high boots. Her hood is pulled back, allowing her raven locks to fall loosely around her startled, pale face.

She wriggles in her bindings. "No, I'm not. Levi, I'm sorry-"

"It doesn't matter," I cut her off, moving around her and getting to the ropes that hold her in place. "We need to get you free."

Before I manage to cut through a single thread, something cold and sharp hovers at my throat. Then there's a hand on mine, pale and feminine, taking the knife from my grasp while a flat chest presses against my back.

"Now that would be taking the fun out of it, wouldn't it?" Annie whispers in my ear as she throws the knife away. "Now get up slowly and don't try anything funny, I'd hate for my hand to slip."

"How the hell are you still alive?" I growl through gritted teeth as she forces me forwards.

"I guess the brain isn't as vulnerable as you thought, schoolboy," she taunts before turning her attention to my uncle. "You alright, Kenny?"

He half-groans, half-snarls as he gets to his feet, retrieving his hat and his gun. As he turns the moonlight hits his face and I can finally get a clear look at him. He's aged quite a bit since that night at the party. The wrinkles that line his face are more predominant and his skin has grown chalked and skinnier. He still sports his coarse facial hair and trademark hat although both seem more ragged and unkept than before, the only thing that hasn't really changed is his eyes. They're still beady and merciless in their darkness.

"About time you got here," he grumbles as he retrieves his gun and produces a small handkerchief from his back pocket in order to wrap it around his wounded hand. "You look like hell. What happened to you?"

"Your nephew happened," she growls, shoving me forward and pressing the knife to my back.

At this Kenny snorts but there's no humour in it. He looks pissed as he checks his ammo. "I see you haven't lost your touch, kid. I'd compliment you only I don't have any respect for tattle-tales."

"He's not the informative," Mikasa says suddenly, leaning forward in her chair and nearly shouting the words at him but then his hand strikes out and a sharp slap resounds through the air. The force of the blow whips her head to the side, quick enough to damage her neck.

"Hey!" I yell, pushing forward but no sooner have I taken a step is there a gun in my face and Annie hits me with the butt of the knife on my neck, bringing me to my knees.

"Watch it, kid," Kenny growls through his teeth as he looks down on me. "I'm not in the mood for pissing around right now, especially not with my name out in the open like this." He gestures towards Annie. "Get him a seat."

She moves away and drags over a seat, forcing me into it. I shrug off her hand roughly and sit myself down, narrowing my eyes on her. She seems unfazed but I can tell she's livid inside. Her forehead is covered in blood and swollen from my treatment of her earlier and she's holding back from wincing. I should've given her another kick for good measure.

Kenny keeps his gun on me. Close enough so that there is no chance he'll miss and yet far enough so that I can't move to to disarm him. There's always the threat of Annie behind me as well, knife at the ready.

 _Erwin, where the hell are you?_

I look over to Mikasa who glares up at the man in front of her. The moonlight falls perfectly on her face and it's now that I can see the redness of her cheek along with the slight swelling. I have to clench my jaw and curl my fists to stop myself from launching at the perpetrator.

"Alright so here's the deal kiddies," Kenny begins, wiping the blood from his face casually. "You both know who I am, you both know what I've done and you've both managed to track me down a bit too easily for my liking so I'm gonna have to end the both of you. It's not very convenient but I suppose we can stage it as a joint suicide."

"Jealous girlfriend shoots boyfriend before ending her own life," Annie states from behind me. "Not a bad headline for tomorrow's news."

"He's your nephew," Mikasa speaks up suddenly, looking at Kenny with an expression of disbelief and anger. "He's your blood."

"He's a liability and and freaking nuisance," Kenny corrects her sharply. "I tolerated his existence for the last few years but then he goes and teams up with you and double-crosses me, therefore he dies."

The gun clicks as he removes the safety and I can see Mikasa visibly flinch from the corner of my eye. Her shoulders rise up and down as though she's uncomfortable and her eyes are desperate. I can't believe it's going to end like this, that _we're_ going to end like this. Murdered in cold blood one after the other in our own classroom.

What a pathetic way to die.

"Now here's how it's going to work," Kenny says, loving the sound of his own goddamn voice. "I put a bullet in your head," he points towards me casually with the gun. "Nice, quick death, you'll be reunited with your mother and you'll have no more worries, happy days."

Then he turns to Mikasa, all the while keeping the gun on me. "You on the other side have been a thorn in my side for too long now, so you'll watch your boyfriend die and then, you'll answer all of my questions and you'll die too. How quickly depends on how cooperative you are, got it?"

Mikasa visibly swallows and pales, nodding her head in submission after a few seconds of silence. I can feel myself begin to tense up in my chair, my heart racing in my ribcage because I know this is it. Even Mikasa, the girl who never stops trying, is giving up. After everything we've been through, the meetings at the café, convincing her to join the team, the races, the studying, the fights, the holiday... everything. It can't end like this, it's not right.

"Wait." Mikasa leans forward slightly, her voice firm and unwavering.

Knees glares at her. "You got a learn to shut your mouth, girl-"

"I just need to tell him something," she cuts him off forcefully, her eyes narrowing on him venomously. "Just one last thing."

He rolls his eyes, muttering something about heartbroken girls before jerking his head towards me. "Make it quick and entertaining."

My throbbing heart stops as she looks towards me. Her eyes are still hard as they drift away, obviously looking towards Annie, then downwards as if she's studying the knife. It's so quick I barely notice but then she focuses back on me.

I expect her whole face to visibly soften, for her eyes to begin to water, for her words to be sweet and longing. I'm completely wrong though. Her eyes are still as cold as ice, her face is still a neutral mask and her body language is still defensive and tense.

I don't understand why.

"I'm sorry," she says quietly, "for accusing you of consorting with your uncle and getting you into this situation, it wasn't a part of the plan."

She hangs her head for a split-second and I can see her take a deep breath, preparing herself. I can't take my eyes off of her, I'm waiting for her mask to break, or for her to do something - anything at all.

It doesn't happen though, instead she raises her head and manages to hold my gaze one final time. I can see Kenny watching her curiously, then looking towards me to gauge my reaction from the corner of my eye. I pay him no mind though, I can only see Mikasa's small, sorrowful quirk of her lips.

I think it's supposed to be a smile.

"Thank you for never giving up on me, even right from the start."

It's as though someone has poured honey over the entire world because everything begins to happen in slow motion. Mikasa's toes press into the floor and push her forwards. Her arms spread wide, her bindings falling to the floor behind her in roughly severed pieces and her blade slides out from its sheathe like a viper, poised and ready.

In three steps she has closed the distance between her and Kenny. He roars in surprise, turning his gun away from me and towards her, firing immediately. I don't see where the bullet goes, all I see is the blood that sprays into the air as Mikasa tackles him viciously and pushes him back, away from me and into the window.

The glass shatters like snowflakes and they disappear out of sight, falling into the night.

"Kenny!" Annie's shrill cry snaps me back to reality and I launch myself to my feet, whipping around and sending a fist to her face. A yell escapes her lips as she falls into the desk, but I have no time to spare trading blows with her, I need to end this quickly.

Her wrist is in my hand, snapping harshly beneath my aggressive grip. The knife falls into my hand as she screams, but her voice ends abruptly as the sharp silver slices through her trachea, blood spraying the opposite wall. Finally, she lies still.

My feet are already carrying me to the broken window. My heart's hammering in my chest, afraid I might find two mangled corpses on the ground. Instead, all I can see is white foam in the pool far below from where they made their splash.

White foam that is quickly turning red.

I can't tell who's blood is staining the pool red, neither have resurfaced and I can hear police sirens in the distance. Erwin finally made it, but now what? I turn towards the door, hand on the knob but then it strikes me; I won't make it down in time. I have three stories of stairs to clear, Mikasa will have either bled out or drowned by then, she's still not that strong of a swimmer.

Unless I...

My feet move as though on autopilot, turning me back around and pushing me forward. I'm across the room in only a few steps and then there's no floor beneath me, only the stars and the moon. Wind rushes through my hair and clothes as I free fall, down, down, down into the cold water below.

The water feels like a hard slap and it overwhelms me as I sink, bubbles floating around me. The chlorine stings my eyes but I don't dare close them as I search for her. I tread through the water pushing to where the source of the red is coming from and its there I find two shadows. One bigger and taller, the other slender and shorter.

Both are motionless.

Kicking with all my strength I move towards Mikasa, clutching her against me as I surface and take in some much needed oxygen. The wailing sirens are becoming louder as I lay her down on the concrete ground and place a hand to her cheek.

She's not breathing.

"Hey, brat, wake up!" I shake her, more roughly than I really should before I tilt her chin back, opening her mouth. Her lips are as cold as her skin as I force air into her, her chest rising from the movement.

I shove down on her chest rapidly, each push more forceful than the last. Her body rocks with the motion but her eyes remain shut and face peaceful.

"C'mon, you're not bailing out on me now," I growl, breathing into her again and resuming my pressing. "You never give up, you never stop trying so don't you fucking dare start now. Do you hear me, brat? You have to fight!"

That's when she jerks beneath my touch as though a shock of electricity has run through her. A choked gasp escapes her lips and then she heaves to the side, coughing up water onto the ground. I lean back, patting her back and helping her sit up as she gulps down air hungrily.

As soon as she comes to her senses, she looks around wildly before her eyes settle on the bloody water in the pool. They widen slightly before she looks down at her blade, still stained red from where she stabbed Kenny.

"It's over," I tell her, causing her to look at me in disbelief. "You did it."

It takes a moment for the statement to register in her head. Her eyes seem to glaze over, as though she's looking back on all of her planning, all of her training, all of the sleepless nights and all of the ones filled with nightmares. After everything, after losing her childhood and half of her life to prison bars, she's finished. Simply finished.

"What about Annie?" She asks.

"I took care of her," I reply firmly. "She's not going to bother either of us again."

Her eyes slide shut in relief and she releases a long breath, her shoulders sagging. She falls against me, her energy spent, and rests her head on my shoulder. Her wet hair tickles my cheek but I don't mind, it feels... comfortable.

"Thank you," she whispers in a voice so low I can barely hear her.

The adrenaline has suddenly faded from my own body, returning to its dormant state like a resting lion and my head falls against hers tiredly as I wrap an arm around her. "No problem," I mutter with a sigh. "Thanks for saving my neck back there."

"Anytime," she says before we fall silent. Footsteps, shouts and sirens echo around us but at this stage I couldn't care. I just want to leave this all behind us and go home, as if it never happened, but I know that's not going to be possible. Nothing will ever be the same after this.

And that thought alone scares me to death.


	23. Kiss From A Rose

**A/N: Well, it's hard to believe that my second Rivamika fanfiction has come to a close. This is the final chapter and I'm not going to bore you with a long author's note but I just want to thank everyone who reviewed, who favourited, who followed and who messaged me about this story. All the support really kept me writing and trying to update every weekend and I hope you enjoy this last chapter.**

 **On one final note, I am going to go on a break from writing for the next few months. I have important exams coming up in June that I need to dedicate myself fully to but I promise, I will return after that (and hopefully with some new inspiration for another Rivamika Fic) :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan.**

Chapter Twenty-Three: Kiss From a Rose

It's been four days since that night at the school. After what felt like a century, Erwin stumbled upon Mikasa and I by the pool with the rest of the police. They closed off the area and took us away to be questioned and medically checked. I was fine, just a bit shocked and beaten up; Mikasa was another story. She had multiple shallow cuts and bruising, nothing too serious but even so, the doctors said they were surprised she had been able to fight.

They don't know her like I do, I suppose.

After that, she was taken away. I was transported to a different part of the police station to be questioned. Whenever I asked about her, my only reply was 'she's fine, she's being questioned.' Erwin came in from time to time, but he couldn't tell me much about her, for the sake of his own job. This was his case after all, he had to do the questioning and the investigating.

I answered everything as honestly as I could, leaving out the fact of Mikasa being a part of the Shinigami and her past history with Kenny. I could tell by the look in Erwin's eyes that he approved of my playing the innocent who happened upon the scene and acting in self-defence.

I was released without any charges, it was a closed case really. Mikasa identified Kenny as the murder of her parents and so Erwin found his killer for his case. With both him and his accomplice no longer breathing, there was nothing to bring to the courts, no one to prosecute or defend and no other alibi.

Again, Mikasa was another story.

Erwin tried his best for the both of us, to twist the story to our advantage and keep Mikasa's past as closed off from anyone else's knowledge as much as possible but he's not a god. If he could've clicked his fingers and magicked the whole thing away, he would've in a heart beat but fate could never be so kind to us.

I only found out this morning that Mikasa could be looking at another few years in a psychological detention centre.

There was no denying that she killed Kenny. I claimed it was to protect me which was, for the most part, true. When I was about to confess to killing Annie, Erwin informed me that Mikasa had taken the fall for me - with his help. I was furious, to say the least, with them both but in the end, I was surprised I hadn't expected it. She never wanted me to get involved in any of it, this was the only way she could cut my ties completely with the fiasco.

I was released two days after we had first been detained. Though he tried, Erwin couldn't get her out, he said there were still complications with what would happen next. I wasn't allowed to see her, despite all my efforts of persuasion and eventually, Hanji had to help Erwin remove me from the vicinity.

I still haven't seen Mikasa since.

Now, I stand alone in the corner of the dimmed hall while the chandelier delivers small sparks of silvery light around the room. Guys in suits and girls in flowing dresses litter the dance floor while others maul the food table and others drink from the punch bowl spiked with vodka.

The suit that Hanji forced me into is tight and constricting, the cravat may be soft and immaculately clean but even so, nothing feels right. This is the last place I want to be but I don't have much of a choice; Hanji blackmailed me into coming and staying right up until the end. What blackmail was it? I'll never tell, but as a hint, it has something to do with a video and a lake.

So here I am, alone. Not that I've ever minded being alone before, most of the time I prefer it but now... This feels empty and uncomfortable. There should be someone else here with me, but she can't be and I'm not even sure if she will ever be again.

Just then, my phone rings and I can't explain my sudden rush to flip it open or my hope to see the words 'Oriental Brat' light up on the screen. My heart deflates almost instantly when I see it's an unknown number.

"Yes?" I demand more unpleasantly than I really mean to as I hold it to my ear.

"Is this Levi Ackerman?" The voice asks. It sounds oddly familiar.

"Yes. Who is this?"

"Ah, please excuse me for not making myself known, this is Rod Reiss, Head of Reiss University and I am calling upon the matter of your and your friend, Mikasa Ackerman's, scholarships."

My grip tightens on the phone and my heart sees to stop in my chest. "Our... scholarships?" I repeat.

"Indeed, after many discussions the management team decided that you and your partner are exactly the type of people we need in our university. We look forward to seeing you both next year, providing you pass the rest of your exams and stay out of trouble."

Stay out of trouble... So they haven't heard about the incident at the school yet. Erwin really has been working his ass off to keep it out of the press but what happens when they do find out? My scholarship will be safe, thanks to Mikasa and Erwin but what about hers? She may not even be able to return to school to finish her exams if they deem her a threat to others.

"I trust you will let Ms. Ackerman know of our decision and pass on the good news to her?" Reiss prods encouragingly and I nod more to myself than him.

"I will," I reply shortly.

With that I hang up and simply stare down at the phone. I've practically just obtained my dreams, all the hard work I've put in over the years is finally paying off. I should be ecstatic, or at the very least, content but I'm not. If anything, I feel worse. There's this awful pit in my stomach that won't go away and with each second the feeling becomes more intense.

But what can I do?

For once, I'm absolutely powerless. I have no clue what's going to happen. I've never been met with this feeling, I've always planned ahead, planted safety nets and predicted every step accurately that is until... Mikasa walked into my life.

I rarely had the slightest of notions of what she would do or when she would do it. She always brought something new to the table, she never ceased to surprise me and now, I'm not sure what she will do either. I don't know what will happen to her.

She could fight and escape, fading into the shadows of society and living a relatively free life. Or she could submit to whatever plans the higher-ups have for her and spend the next few years trapped away again. I doubt there will be any in between but either way, I'll never get to spend time with her like I used to. I just got her back and now, she's gone again.

"Are you alright, my dear Ackerman?" Hanji appears beside me suddenly, her four eyes too close to mine for my liking.

"I'm fine," I mutter, turning away from her. "Just going to get some fresh air."

"Oh no, wait, not yet! A slow dance is coming on soon, that will be right up your street, come on stay-!"

The moment she grabs my arm, I shove her away roughly, nearly making her trip in her heels. My eyes slice into hers and for once, she looks afraid. She doesn't speak as I turn away silently and make my way towards the exit with no intention of returning.

The hallways are quiet and dark as I stroll through them. I'm far enough away from the hall that I can no longer hear the music. It's peaceful, only the odd girlish giggle or gasp of passion from an occupied classroom breaking the silence.

Erwin managed to get the crime scene speculated and cleared all for Hanji's dance. All she had to do was bat her eyelids and he did it. I'm not sure if there's anything going on there but to be quite honest, I don't want to know. I just want to be alone.

I'm on the second floor now, gazing out at the pool. It's no longer red, but a crystalline blue that shines like a bath of elixir against the dark backdrop. It's hard to believe Mikasa fell three stories down into it and nearly died only four days ago. It feels as though everything that happened occurred in another lifetime and somehow, I prefer that lifetime to this one.

As I turn away from the window, I hear a door slam shut on the floor below me, the sound echoing throughout the corridors. I wouldn't pay it much attention only for the fact that it's followed by the rushed padding of bare feet against the tiled stairs. Curiosity arouses within me as the sounds grow louder, then the ruffling of fabric reaches my ears and my eyes land upon the figure that appears.

At first, all I see is red, like the most vibrant of roses. Trailing down to the floor from smooth pale shoulders. A small silver leaf, delicate yet precise rests on a chain and lies on predominant collarbones. Then I see the thorns; straight, dark hair held off of the moonlit skin in a messy up-do and contrasting beautifully with her dress.

Mikasa stands only a few feet away from me, holding a pair of red heels in her hands while she breathes heavily, her cheeks slightly flushed from running. I can only watch as her eyes widen and then soften with relief, melting into silver pools of mercury almost instantly.

She's breathtaking.

Words escape me suddenly and so I walk forward. She mirrors my actions. Her eyes wander up and down, drinking in my appearance and darkening in an almost sinful manner as they reach my own, showing she approves.

At least Hanji got one fucking thing right tonight.

We stop only three feet away from one another, in front of an empty classroom and finally, I can speak.

"What are you doing here?"

Not the best choice of words but Mikasa doesn't take offence. Instead, she shrugs in a slightly innocent manner. "I heard you didn't have a date to the dance."

"Yeah but," I pause and shake my head, "how are you here?"

Her lips quirk up slightly at the corners. "I may have had help from a fairy godfather."

"Erwin... So he got you out?"

She nods slowly, biting down on her lip. "Yeah, it's a bit of a long story."

I look discreetly towards the classroom, already feeling better by the mere fact that she's here with me. "I've got time."

Her gaze follows mine and she tried to hide a smile as she walks inside before me, allowing me to shut and lock the door behind us. The eeriness of the building at night seems to fade as we sit down on the desks, just as we used to, talking easily and freely.

She tells me of how Erwin talked non-stop to the others in his precinct, pleading her case. He persuaded them to look at it through his point of view; her actions were clearly spawned from the trauma of the vents six years ago and they shouldn't be punishing her for taking two criminals off the streets they should be rewarding her. She snorts as she tells me how Erwin referred to her as a hero but I don't laugh. It's not that funny when it's true.

I can't help but snort when she refers to Erwin as her fairy godfather again, picturing him in a sparkling gown with a silver wand while he forces her into a red dress and heels. From her expression now, I can tell it was no easy task to persuade her to wear it. She plucks at the silky fabric with distaste but in my opinion, Erwin couldn't have picked out a nicer outfit. It shows off a suitable amount of skin, the long slit up the side is a nice touch too.

Then it's my turn to tell her about the call I received earlier but I don't want to do it like this. Pleading with her to wait for two seconds, I sneak back down the corridor, rushing to Hanji's secret stash in the storeroom and swiping a bottle of wine and two glasses.

She raises a brow as I return but doesn't complain as I pour her a healthy-sized glass. "Did you win the lottery or something?" She questions.

"It feels like it," I reply with a small smirk before raising my glass to her, "considering we both just got scholarships for Reiss University."

Her hand freezes in our toast and without tasting the wine, she puts it down slowly, nearly spilling it over the table. "W-we... what?"

I mimic her, putting my glass down, and spread my hands out wide in a gesture of simplicity. "We got scholarships," I repeat more firmly.

Her eyes widen even further, if that's even possible and for a second, she looks like she's about to cry. My brows draw together in confusion at her response but then, her lips draw into a smile and she throws her arms around me in delight, kissing me on the lips.

It's so unlike her, especially the small squeal she emits and I can see she's taken aback as she pulls away, biting down on her lip while her cheeks flush red. "S-sorry, I just can't believe it... Sorry."

She looks down and tries to step back but I don't let her. My arms a snake around her small waist and pull her back to me, exciting a small gasp from her. Her eyes rise to meet mine and a small smirk crossed my features.

"Don't be," I say before I lean down to reclaim her soft lips.

The empty feeling that has been dwelling within me for the past few days fades away completely, replaced by a warmth I can't fully explain. It's not something I'm familiar with but the one thing I'm sure of, is that only Mikasa can make me feel this way.

Her lips part, allowing me entrance as her hands move to the back of my neck and pull me down closer to her. Her dress is thin, letting her natural body heat seep into me and I groan as her nails rake through my hair. As my hands travel lower I can feel her shiver beneath my touch and as we pull away, only for the necessity of air, her eyes slowly open to meet mine again.

The glazed over grey irises, the pink cheeks, the small curve of swollen lips are all evidence that she shares this feeling and it's as new to her as it is to me. I don't think she can describe it either but that's ok; as long as she feels it too, nothing else matters.

One hand rises up to cup her cheek and bring her lips back to mine. There's no resistance or hesitation on her part and my eyes slide shut as I concentrate on her. Her divine scent, her soft touches and her sweet taste.

She's like a rose, beautiful, graceful and defined by her roots and like every rose, she has her thorns; sharp, dark ones that I've witnessed first hand.

But she was worth the the pain every time I pricked myself and she always will be.

 _The End_


End file.
